


Paint it Black

by TolKienSwan



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-18
Updated: 2018-02-19
Packaged: 2018-12-03 23:48:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 62
Words: 81,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11542977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TolKienSwan/pseuds/TolKienSwan
Summary: Snow White won the war, but does not want Regina to lose her life. Instead she sends her to a different realm to begin a new life. Regina is weak, terrified, and alone. All until she meets a certain sheriff and a boy who believes in her.





	1. Two Worlds

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone. So, I'm staring a new story. I do intend to carry on with A Gamble on Love but I've gotten myself stuck in a rut with it. So until I am in the mood to carry it on, I'm giving this idea a go. Let me know what you think and if this is something you'd like to read more of!

The guards came for her not long after daybreak, dragging her from the cell she’d spent many weeks to the large throne room that should have been hers.

Snow and her prince were sat on their thrones while their disciples stood and watched as the once formidable Evil Queen was forced to her knees before them. Regina wasn’t that anymore. She was nothing but a shell of what she once was.

“Regina,” Snow gasped as she saw the gaunt, weak woman before her. She looked at the dwarves in anger. “I told you to feed her!”

“She was fed,” angry-looking dwarf replied. “She did this to herself.”

“Why didn’t you tell us this?” David demanded and the dwarf shrugged.

“If the Evil Queen wants to starve herself then who am I to get in the way of that.”

“Regina,” Snow gasped again. “Why would you do that to yourself?”

Regina didn’t have a lot of strength but even on her deathbed, she’d have the strength to mock Snow White.

“And give you the satisfaction of killing me yourself? My dear Snow, you should know better than that.”

She saw David’s hands tighten and a wicked smirk appeared on her lips. If this was her last victory, she was going to enjoy it.

Snow, however, was neither angered nor upset. In fact, she looks confused.

“Oh no, Regina. I’d never kill you. I don’t want to harm you in any way.”

At that, Regina scoffed.

“So you’re just going to lock me up in a tower for the rest of my days?”

“That was always temporary,” Snow insisted. “Only until we came up with a solution that suited everyone and now we have.”

Regina laughed in the woman’s face.

“A punishment I’ll be happy about. You really are the naïve optimist I always thought you were. Come on, Snow. Punish me properly.”

Snow just sighed and shook her head.

“I want us both to be happy. That’s all I’ve ever wanted and since we can never be happy stuck in this bitter fight over a kingdom I know you don’t really want.”

“You don’t know what I want,” Regina snapped. “You never did.”

“I know you’re not happy,” Snow replied. “You’ve never been happy. For a while I thought it was because of Daniel…”

“Don’t you DARE say his name!” Regina barked, causing the guards to reach for their swords. David raised his hand and stood down.

“But I don’t think he is the reason,” Snow continued. “I want you to be happy and I want you to find it. So I’m sending you to a world where you won’t be the evil queen, where you can be yourself and build a life of your own, fall in love. This kingdom, this realm, may be my happy ending but I don’t think it’s yours.”

Regina’s heart began to beat erratically. She hadn’t been scared of dying, in fact she’d planned to welcome it with her head held high. This, however, filled her heart with fear.

“Where? Please don’t say Wonderland.”

“Like we’d put you and your psychopath mother together,” Snow’s wolf friend snapped, wearing the red cape that was too fine to be worn by a peasant. Regina had never liked her.

“Those are big words for pet dog,” Regina shot back. The wolf stepped forward but the old bag pulled her back. Snow shook her head at that scene.

“No Regina, not Wonderland. A different world, a place where no one will know who you are.”

“Will I have magic?” Regina asked and watched as the royal pair looked to each other. “Snow, will I have my magic.”

“I don’t know,” Snow admitted. “Maybe not.”

Regina’s heart was pounding, her breathing became harder.

“No, Snow please. I need magic. I’m nothing without my magic.”

Snow White shook her head again.

“This is why you need to find happiness, Regina. There is more to life than power and magic.”

“Snow please. Just kill me. I can’t do this.”

Snow said nothing and David got to his feet.

“Rumpelstiltskin!”

Regina rolled her eyes when the imp appeared.

“I should have known. This had your fingerprints all over it.”

The Dark One did his ridiculous laugh.

“They made a deal, Dearie. This is what I do. Now, the magic bean.”

A guard walked between them carrying a large pillow, a magic bean resting in the middle. He placed it on the floor and retreated. Rumple clapped his hands and moved to stand over it.

“It’s been a pleasure knowing you, your majesty. Very few have been so entertaining.”

“You fucking bastard!”

The Dark One laughed again before waving his hand over the bean. He quickly stepped away as a small portal opened in the floor. Two guards grasped Regina and lead her to the edge of the portal.

“No, Snow please!” Regina cried desperately, trying to fight but the guards were too strong for her fragile state. Even her magic couldn’t save her now.

“Goodbye, Regina,” Snow said sadly. “I wish you happiness.”

Before Regina could protest, the guards threw her down into the portal.

She fell, down the rabbit hole that seemed to never end until suddenly everything went dark.

 

The next thing Regina knew was a forest floor. It was dark and cold, the only light the pale moon visible through the tall tree branches. The air felt different, empty.

Regina lay on the ground, tears forming in her eyes.

There was no magic in this land.

Fucking Snow, Regina thought. The bitch had won.

She lay there for a long while, hoping death would find her and end her miserable existence. But the wait for death became tiresome and she used her remaining strength to get to her feet.

She staggered through the woods until she reached a road. It was different from the roads of her world- instead of dirt it was made of stone and was as smooth as skin. She walked the stone path blindly, knowing roads always lead the way to somewhere of meaning.

It didn’t take long for her to be confronted by a sign made of metal and painted green with white lettering, much finer than the pathetic welcomes the peasant villages made. Regina eyed the sign suspiciously but decided to just continue on.

She knew nothing of this realm but a place named Storybrooke at least sounded welcoming.


	2. Zero to Hero

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I'm glad you all liked the first chapter so I've decided to continue on. Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy this next instalment.

Storybrooke was unlike anything Regina could have ever imagined. The cottages were the size of small palaces and the horses were armoured with fluorescent eyes. The streets were lit with lanterns and even though it was clearly well past sundown people roamed the streets in clothes that back in the Enchanted Forest would be considered a state of undress.

Regina stayed in the shadows. Though the people of Storybrooke did not seem hostile, she was not going to take the chance. After all, she did not know if outsiders like herself would be welcome.

She walked the roads, the large buildings lining them with light inside. These people must not fear highwaymen, she concluded, after all, they were sitting targets. They sat in their homes completely naïve the Evil Queen was passing by. Regina smirked at the thought.

As she carried on, she noticed a number of people were entering and leaving what looked like a small Tavern called ‘The Rabbit Hole.’ Her spirits rose. If there was any place that welcomed weary travellers, it was this.

She approached with the intention of going inside but as she got closer, the door swung open and a blonde woman stormed out. Regina quickly ducked back into the shadows.

“Leave me alone, Killian. I want to go home.”

A man followed after her. He had black hair and wore a coat made of leather. Regina wrinkled her nose in disgust. A scoundrel if ever she saw one.

“Come on, love. You promised to have drinks with me.”

“I never promised anything,” the blonde shot back. “I’m leaving and I don’t want you to come near me or my son again.”

“Why can you never give me a chance?” the man questioned and the woman laughed.

“You’ve had more chances than anyone and every time you fuck it up. I’m done. Goodbye Killian.”

Regina watched as the woman went to walk away. The man didn’t seem to like than answer and reached out, grabbing the woman’s arm and pulling her back.

Memories flashed in Regina’s mind, memories she’d rather not remember. And they made her see red.

“You unhand her right now!” Regina commanded, walking out of the shadows. Both of them looked at her in surprise.

The woman, shrugged the man off and stepped away from him. Yet she didn’t leave. She stared at Regina curiously while the man looked at her in anger.

“Mind your own business, love. This is between me and the lass.”

The woman scoffed and Regina looked at him in disgust.

“How dare you address me and this young woman in such a manner! Do so again and I’ll make you wish you’d never been born.”

“Oh really?” the man question, stepping towards her. “I’d like to see you try.”

Regina smirked, raised her hand ready to blast the bastard with all the magic she had. Then she remembered she had no magic here. So she was stood there with her hands up looking like an idiot. The man just laughed in her face.

“Oh I’m so terrified,” he mocked her. “Go home love and leave us alo…”

Before he could finish, Regina used all her might to punch the guy square in the face.

He fell to the floor, clutching his bleeding nose.

“You broke my nose, you bitch!”

“Indeed I have,” Regina smirked. “And I’ll break a lot more if you don’t leave this young woman alone.”

The man looked to the woman with wide eyes.

“Aren’t you going to arrest her?!”

The woman looked between them before shrugging.

“I didn’t see anything.”

“What?! You were right there when she attacked me.”

“Sorry,” the woman shrugged again. “I didn’t catch any of that.”

The man huffed and got to his feet and pointed at Regina threateningly.

“This isn’t over.”

“Oh I believe it is,” Regina replied, holding her head high. The man shot her one last glare before storming off.

The woman watched him go before looking to Regina with a smile.

“Thanks for sticking up for me.”

“You are very welcome,” Regina replied with a weak smile. She could feel the adrenaline coming down and she was returning to her tired, weak state. The woman seemed to notice something was wrong as her smile dropped.

“Hey, are you okay?”

“I’m fi…” Regina tried to reply but her legs gave out. The woman rushed forward and caught her before she hit the floor.

“Okay, okay,” she said softly as she lowered Regina to lie on the ground. “I’m gonna call an ambulance, okay? You’re going to be fine. I promise.”

After that, Regina didn’t take in what the blonde was saying. Her eyes fluttered shut only to be shook awake almost instantly.

“Hey, you gotta stay awake. Just focus on my voice. Can you tell me your name?”

“ _R-Regina_ ,” she breathed, fighting the unconsciousness that threatened to overtake her.

“Regina,” the woman repeated, a smile appearing on her face. “Nice to meet you. I’m Emma.”

Emma, Regina noted it to memory. It was a beautiful name.

“You’re quite the hero,” the woman, Emma, continued. “You do that often?”

Regina couldn’t reply. She was basically hanging on by a thread. Emma seemed to notice that and shook her again.

“No, no, stay with me, Regina. Stay with me.”

She tried but she couldn’t and as a strange sound seemed to approach them, Regina slipped out of reality.

 

Her eyes seemed to open almost instantly after she closed them. But that was definitely not the case.

She was in a bed for one, and was no longer outside the tavern, now just staring up at a white ceiling.

Regina felt both better and worse. She instantly felt a lot stronger but her head was spinning, feeling incredibly groggy.

She felt a strange sensation in her left arm. Lifting her head a little, she saw something was attached to it. It was thin, like a string made of a transparent material with what appeared to be water inside. It was inserted into her arm by a needle and Regina instantly cringed at the thought, moving her other hand to pull it out.

“Stop!” a high-pitched voice shouted, making her jump. Regina shot up in the bed and came face to face with a young boy. He was small with scruffy brown hair and bright green eyes. He had an adorable little button nose and freckled cheeks.

She’d always liked children, even in her darkest days. They were innocent, uncorrupted by blind hatred.

“You shouldn’t touch them,” he told her. “They are helping you get better.”

Regina grimaced at the needle once more but decided not to touch it. After all, she was feeling better. She just wished she knew what was going on.

“I’m Henry,” the boy said with a toothy grin. “You were a sleep a whole week.”

“I have?” Regina questioned and the boy nodded.

“Yep, me and Mom have been here every day!”

“To see me?” Regina frowned and the boy nodded.

“Yep,” he said again. “Mom said you’re really brave! Like a superhero!”

Regina didn’t know what criteria made a hero ‘super’ but she was sure she did not qualify.

“Who is your mother?”

Before the boy could reply, the answer came walking into the room.

“Emma,” Regina said, recognising the woman instantly.

The blonde woman smiled at her, rushing over to join her son at Regina’s bedside.

“You remember me. That’s good.”

“Yes, I remember,” Regina nodded. “Where am I?”

“Storybrooke General Hospital,” Emma answered. “You gave us quite a scare, Regina. Or should I say Madam Mayor.”

“Excuse me?” Regina frowned. “What do you mean by that?”

Emma looked at her with concern.

“Don’t you remember?”

“Remember what?” Regina questioned.

“That you’re the temporary mayor,” Emma replied. “The one the Governor has sent to replace Old Mr George, poor guy. One of my deputies found your car out in the woods and found your ID.”

Regina didn’t understand half of what the woman said.

“I don’t understand. What is a mayor?”

Emma’s look of concern deepened but before she could say anything, Henry replied instead.

“You’re in charge of the whole town!” he told her excitedly. “You’re the boss of everyone!”

“Oh,” was all Regina had in the form of a reply. This shouldn’t happen using a magic bean. Only a curse could create an identity like this.

What had the Dark One done?


	3. A Whole New World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all the comments and kudos and I'm glad you're liking this fic. Here's another chapter. I probably won't be able to get a chapter up tomorrow but fingers crossed I'll be able to get something up on Saturday while waiting for comic con news. So again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

Over the course of the following days, Regina had very little time for rest. A man in a white coat that Emma assured her was a ‘doctor’ kept coming over and flashing a light in her eyes which she found incredibly irritating. Then they always took her to lie in what the doctor man called an ‘MRI scanner.’ She asked Emma what he meant and she told her it was a machine that took pictures of her brain.

Regina still didn’t understand.

Emma came numerous times a day, mostly fleeting moments. She was an important person, a lawman in fact. Though no one was as important as her it would appear. Regina’s role as mayor came with a lot of power.

“You’re in charge of a lot,” Emma had told her. “But you’re not the president or anything.

Give it time, Regina thought.

Emma always brought Henry in the evening and that was the part of her day she most looked forward to.

Henry was always a bubble of energy and would lighten up the room that for most of the time was incredibly miserable. He was also the one person he didn’t look at her in concern when she didn’t understand something, he’d just explain it to her.

She’d learnt to wait until Emma had gone to speak to the doctor to ask Henry any questions. Emma always looked hurt when she didn’t know something. Regina had tried to explain that she wasn’t ill but the doctor still kept throwing the phrase ‘memory loss’ around, much to her frustration.

On that night, Emma was speaking to the doctor for a long time. Regina didn’t have many questions for the day so she sat in the armchair by her bed and listened to Henry telling her about his day at school, a place he went to learn.

Back in the enchanted forest, education was for the privileged and wealthy. Even then, it was limited. Boys were taught how to fight and girls were taught how to needle-point. Henry, however, was learning so much more.

“Then we had reading time. We’re reading _Harry Potter._ I really like it but I’ve read them before with Mom. If you are still here tomorrow, I’ll bring you it. I think you’ll like it.”

“Thank you, Henry,” Regina smiled. “That’s very kind of you.”

“I think you’ll like it,” Henry told her. “Harry is a hero like you!”

“I don’t think I’m a hero,” Regina replied but Henry shook his head.

“You are,” he said adamantly. “You saved my Mom. She said you did.”

“I didn’t save her, I helped her,” she corrected. “I’m sure if your Mom was in any danger, she’d be able to defend herself. She’s a Sheriff after all.”

At that, Henry shrugged.

“My mom is a hero too but sometimes even heroes need someone to save them.”

“That’s very profound for a boy you age,” Regina complimented him, to which he shrugged again.

“I read a lot.”

Before their conversation could continue, the door to her room opened and Emma returned with the doctor.

“You two okay?” Emma asked with a smile and Henry nodded instantly.

“I’m bringing Regina my Harry Potter book when we come tomorrow!”

“That’s very nice of you, kid,” Emma moved over and ruffled his hair. “But we won’t be coming here tomorrow.”

“What?” Henry and Regina said in unison and in equal disappointment. It was then that the doctor stepped forward.

“Miss Mills,” he addressed her with a name that wasn’t hers. According to Emma it was but according to Emma she was also from Boston and she’d never heard of such a place. She’d decided to stop arguing about such things as that’s when all the fussing starts again.

“Doctor Whale,” Regina replied in the same tone. She had discovered what really riled him and it was patronising.

“We’re very happy with your recovery so far,” he continued with slight annoyance in his voice. “In my medical opinion, you are physically healthy enough to be discharged. That means you can be allowed to go home.”

“I know what it means, I’m not an idiot,” Regina replied. “However, by your tone I sense a but coming.”

The doctor and Emma looked at each other, neither of them clearly wanted to be the one to tell her.

As expected, it was Emma who had the backbone to eventually do so.

“There is some concern regarding your mental state. You know, you not remembering things. We don’t know how you will handle being by yourself, especially while you’re still recovering.”

“I’m not an invalid,” Regina snapped and Emma instantly held her hands up in defence.

“We’re not suggesting you are. But the remainder of your recovery needs to be stress free as possible and being by yourself won’t help things.”

Regina could see Emma’s point, but she didn’t have to like it.

“So I have to stay in here until someone deems me sane enough to be let out in the world?”

Out of one prison and straight into another, she thought bitterly.

“Your sanity has nothing to do with this, Miss Mills,” Doctor Whale told her firmly. “It’s the fact that you don’t remember simple everyday things. You don’t even remember what a lightbulb is. If we let you go out there without someone to help you and explain these things to you, you may have a serious mental break. Also, I want you to be as relaxed as possible which most of the time means someone looking after you. Without any known relatives and friends, we have very few options.”

“But we reached an alternative to you staying here,” Emma quickly added in a hopeful voice. “You can leave if you come stay with my place. That way you won’t be by yourself and won’t be stuck here.”

“Yes!” Henry cheered. “This is the best news ever!”

Regina was stunned.

“Y-you’d let me stay with you?”

“You’re more than welcome, Regina,” Emma assured her. “You went out of you way to help me that night and this is the least I can do.”

Regina was touched, incredibly surprised but mostly touched. No one had ever gone out of their way to help her before. She’d never really had anyone help her before, not truly. Most times the people she thought cared about her were just using her for their own selfish reasons. And since it had just been established that she was pretty much incapable of taking care of herself, Emma wasn’t wanting anything from her. She was genuine.

That made Regina more reluctant to accept her offer.

“I couldn’t ask that much of you,” she replied but her refusal was cut short by Henry looking up at her with big eyes.

“Please! It will be so much fun!”

Regina tried to stay strong but ultimately she could not say no to the boy.

“Very well,” she nodded. “I’d like to accept your generous offer, Emma. I am very grateful.”

“Great,” Emma smiled. “We’ll have you discharged and then we’ll bring you home.”

Regina nodded and plastered on a smile. Suddenly, she became incredibly nervous.

 

“Welcome to Fort Swan!” Emma announced as she opened the door to what she referred to as a ‘loft’.

Regina hadn’t known what to expect but she found it to be surprisingly spacious. There were many chairs, an area that seemed to vaguely resemble a small kitchen, and a bed under a set of stairs leading to a landing above.

On the bed were two cases and Emma quickly lead her over to them.

“These are all your stuff from your car. I had my deputy dropped them off. Since you don’t remember what happened to you there’s no point holding it up in evidence. If you get any memory of what happened, we’ll open up that case again but until then there isn’t much more you can do.”

Regina pretended to nod in understanding but honestly she had no idea what the woman was talking about.

“So I’m going to make whip up some food but I warn you I’m not the best cook.”

“I’m sure it’ll be a lot better than the hospital food.”

At that, Emma laughed.

“I hope so. I’ll leave you to get settled and everything and I’ll get you when its ready.”

Regina nodded and Emma walked away, leaving her with the cases. She looked around one of the cases and couldn’t work out how to open it. Henry must have noticed her struggling and wondered over.

“It’s a zip,” he explained, opening the case with ease. “I don’t know how it works.”

“Thank you,” she said gratefully. Henry loitered for a while as she opened up the case and picked up a few items of clothing, looking at them with a frown. She’d never wear anything like that.

“You don’t have to like it,” Henry told her.

“I don’t?”

“Nope,” Henry shook her head. “It’s just your secret identity. Like Superman. He has to be a reporter so he can be normal but really he’s an alien.”

“Oh,” Regina replied, taking that story to note. She was an alien, a foreigner from an unknown world. If she was going to be stuck here for the rest of her days, she had to find her place.

She had to become Regina Mills.


	4. Strangers Like Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, sorry this is so late! I got swept away with comic con and as soon as that Justice League trailer dropped, all I've done is watch it on repeat :/ But I somehow managed to finish the chapter! Again, my grammar sucks and I own nothing. Hope you all enjoy!

The food Emma prepared was interesting to say the least. At first when the plate was put in front of her, Regina thought it was a plate of worms.

“I’ll get some cheese,” Emma said with a smile, heading back to the kitchen. As soon as she was out of earshot, Henry leaned over.

“It’s spaghetti,” he whispered. “I know it looks weird but it’s pretty cool.”

Regina was sceptical but decided to give it a try, mostly for the sake of manners. So she picked up her knife and fork, ignoring the spoon also laid out, and tried to eat it. Tried being the operative word. This spaghetti was slippery stuff and even when she managed to get it on her fork, it slipped off before she could get it to her mouth.

After a few failed attempts, Henry stepped in.

“Put down your knife and pick up your spoon,” he told her and once she did so, he grinned. “Watch me and do what I do.”

Regina watched closely as Henry stabbed his fork into his mountain of spaghetti and began twisting it. She watched in awe as the spaghetti, with the help of the spoon, wrapped around his fork neatly and he was able to lift it up and eat it without issue.

“Your turn,” he said with a mouth full of spaghetti. Looking down at her plate, Regina did exactly as the boy had done. Although it wasn’t as effortless or as neat as how Henry showed her, she managed to get the spaghetti to stay on her fork and at last managed to try it.

To her surprise, it wasn’t at all unpleasant. It wasn’t rich and had a very simplistic state, the light sauce it was cooked in being the source of most of the favour. Still, she eagerly went for another bite.

By the time, she’d finished the meal, she was a spaghetti eating champion and could not wait to have more.

“Wow,” Emma laughed. “You did well. Me and Henry are big eaters so our guests usually struggle.”

“It was lovely,” Regina grinned. “I’ve never had food like this before.”

At that, Emma looked surprised.

“You haven’t? I thought spaghetti was like a national treasure.”

“It’s Italian,” Henry pointed out. “I think.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Emma waved him off. “Still everyone eats spaghetti. It’s easy cooking.”

“Well I’ve never had any,” Regina said, which peaked Emma’s interest.

“So what food do you usually have? Sorry, I’m a big food lover.”

Regina couldn’t help but chuckle- they both said the most unique phrases.

“Usually hog and pheasant, sometimes deer, rarely Swan…”

“Swan?” Henry gulped.

“Only when I was invited to banquets.”

“Banquets?” Emma said in surprise. “Fancy.”

“Most of them were very dull,” Regina replied. “And we never had food like this.”

“Yeah, spaghetti is more fun than fancy. Henry used to love it as kid, always putting it on his head and pretending it was a wig.”

“I did not!” Henry cried, his cheeks reddening with embarrassment.

“You did and I have photographic evidence,” Emma replied, making him blush even deeper.

Regina was finding the conversation rather amusing but took pity on the boy.

“I’m sure you looked very handsome, Henry,” she told him, getting him to smile. Emma rolled her eyes.

“Okay, Kid. Enough of you being smitten with our house guest. Let’s get all this cleaned up so we have enough time to have some hot cocoa before we go to sleep.”

Henry grumbled but went to help his mother none the less. Regina made to get up also but Emma instantly stopped her.

“Nope, you’re our guest and you’re still recovering. Sit.”

Regina did as she was told, secretly relieved as she’d never cleaned by hand in her life. Despite how unfortunate her life had been, she was aware of her privileges. Her mother had made sure of that.

Once they’d finished cleaning up, Henry came back to the table while Emma prepared something else in the little kitchen.

“Do you like cocoa?” Henry asked.

“Coco?” Regina frowned. “I’ve never heard of it.”

“It’s the best drink ever!” He said with excitement. “Mom makes the best with cinnamon and little marshmallows. Oh, and cream.”

“I won’t put cinnamon in yours, don’t worry,” Emma called over from the kitchen. “The kid inherited my weird taste buds.”

“Thank you,” Regina smiled. “I’m sure I’ll enjoy it with our without it.”

“Have you ever had cinnamon?” Henry asked and Regina shook her head.

“I wasn’t allowed treats as a child and it was a habit I found I could not break.”

At that, Henry crinkled his nose.

“Cinnamon isn’t a treat. Cake is a treat. Hey Mom, can we have cake for dinner tomorrow?”

“Cake is a dessert, Kid,” Emma called back, causing him to huff.

“For dessert then.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Yes!” Henry cheered. “Regina, have you had cake?”

“Yes, I have,” Regina laughed. “Only on special occasions though.”

“Okay,” he nodded. “Have you had a cookie before?”

“A cookie?”

“Kid, stop interrogating Regina,” Emma told him as she walked over carrying three cups. She placed one in front of Henry and one in front of Regina before sitting down and placing the third in front of herself.

Henry leaned over turned Regina’s cup slightly.

“You gave her Leia?” he asked his mother. Regina frowned and looked at the cup. On it was an image of a young woman dressed in white with two large buns, one either side of her head.

“Yeah, thought we’d finally be a matching set,” Emma shrugged.

“Cool,” Henry grinned. “I’m Luke and Mom is Han Solo.”

Regina didn’t know what he was talking about so just nodded.

The drink was hot so Regina decided to leave it for a while. Emma seemed to do the same but Henry made quick work of it. One it was finished, he put it down and stood up.

“Mom, can I go read my comics before bed?”

“Have you finished your homework?” Emma asked and Henry nodded. The blonde raised her eyebrows and the boy sighed.

“I have like one math problem to do.”

“Alright, go do that and then you can read your comics. I’ll be up their soon though and you know I can’t sleep with a light on.”

Henry huffed and stomped upstairs.

“You share a room with Henry?” Regina asked and Emma shook her head.

“No, I have a camp-bed up there in case he has sleepovers and I’m sleeping on that. I’ve given you my bed.”

“Oh,” was all Regina had to say.

This was all very strange. Though their home was cramped, the Swans weren’t living in squalor. Was it different here? The smaller the place the more grand? If so, Regina intended to have the smallest home possible.

“Hey,” Emma spoke up, her voice quiet and in the familiar tone of someone who was about to say something emotional and personally important. Regina recognised it but had rarely used it herself. She much prepared to keep such things close to the chest. That way no one could use it against her.

“I want to say thank you for what you did the other night,” Emma said and when Regina opened her mouth to reply, she quickly beat her to it. “I know I’ve said that a lot but I am thankful. It was a stupid decision to go meet him in the first place. I’m used to shaking him off but I am so grateful that you stepped in. Graham, my deputy, locked him in the cells one night when he’d come round here drunk but I think you had more of an impact. Quite literally. I haven’t seen him since then, which has been nice.”

Emma was a rambler, which Regina had learnt quickly once she’d woken up. At first it had been annoying but now she just found it difficult to keep up with. He managed to catch most of it this time though.

“You’re very welcome,” Regina replied. “May I ask why you were with him if he treats you such a way?”

Emma shrugged, taking a sip from her cup.

“Storybrooke is a small town. The dating pool isn’t great. Most young people move away after high school and come back married with kids. Killian is one of my few options and he’s handsome enough. I don’t know, I guess he always manages to wear me down to go on a date and I always get hopeful this time he’ll be a gentleman and it’ll all go well. Sounds stupid, right?”

“Incredibly,” Regina nodded in agreement, making the blonde laugh.

“Wow, thanks for the honesty.”

“Should I have not been honest?” Regina frowned and Emma shrugged again.

“Most people aren’t. They’d say stuff like ‘never give up on your happy ending’ or ‘one day he’ll grow out of it and become a true prince’.”

Regina grimaced, the words reminding her of her arch-nemesis.

She sat up straight and addressed the other woman seriously.

“Then this is the problem. Matters of love or the promise of love usually makes people’s minds clouded. And encouragement from others only make you do stupid things. I know this from personal experience. That man is a scoundrel, pure and simple. He would not treat you honourably and would be a terrible influence on Henry. Yes, people change but you shouldn’t wait around hoping that he will. If a man is what you desire, you should wait for someone who at least doesn’t dress like a pirate.”

Emma was silent for a while before she nodded.

“Yes, yeah you’re right. I can do better than him.”

“Indeed you can,” Regina agreed.

Silence fell between them again. Regina looked down at her cup that she had not yet touched. Bringing it to her lips, she tested the beverage with a small sip.

It was sweet and warm, the cream, looking much different than it did back in the Enchanted Forest, only enhancing the delicious taste. She drank more, savouring it.

“You like it, huh?” Emma asked with a grin not dissimilar from Henry’s. Regina reluctantly put the cup down and nodded.

“It’s divine.”

As Regina picked up the cup to drink more, she was aware of the blonde watching her closely.

“Hey, just for the record,” Emma spoke up, still watching the brunette as she drank, “I’m interested in women too.”

Regina chocked o her drink, coughing before quickly composing herself.

“Excuse me?”

Emma narrowed her eyes and Regina felt she was being watched from all angles.

“I’m interested in women,” Emma repeated, “and I’m interested in men. That a problem?”

“No,” Regina clarified quickly. “Not at all.”

Emma’s face softened once more and took a sip of her hot cocoa.

“You should try it with cinnamon,” she said between sips. “It’s so much better.”

Regina just nodded in reply.

This world was strange, refreshingly so.


	5. Part of Your World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all the support so far on this fic! Here's another chapter and again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

As the days went by, Regina found that there was a world of discovery just within the confines of Emma and Henry’s home. When Henry went to school and Emma went to keep law and order within the small town, Regina stayed home wearing very comfortable clothes called ‘pyjamas’ and in front of a strange object called a ‘television’.

When Henry had first showed it to her, she thought it was a magic mirror. She got up and waved, trying to get the people’s attention but Henry told her it was something called a ‘recording’. A recording was a memory captured by something called a ‘camera’. Old memories were black and white and the newer the memory, the clearer they were. Some were memories a mere second after they had happened, called ‘live TV’, but most were older and was cut down to be more entertaining.

Emma told her most of it wasn’t real but Regina didn’t believe her.

The television was teaching her so much about the world and she hadn’t even been outside.

She was in the middle of watching a woman called Brenda bargain for food with little squares of paper when Emma returned early. She instantly took the remote from the armrest next to Regina and shut the Television off.

Regina shot up and looked at Emma, genuinely hurt.

“Emma!”

“I want you to come with me and on patrol,” Emma told her. “You’ve been cooped up in here for so long and I want to show you the town.”

Regina wasn’t too keen and would much rather stay with the television But, none the less, she nodded in agreement.

“Very well,” she said, getting to her feet and moving to the front door.

“Woah, woah, woah,” Emma jumped in and stopped her. “You might wanna get changed first.”

“Changed?” Regina frowned, looking down at her pyjamas. “Do I need to wear something more formal?”

“Not formal,” Emma replied. “Just maybe not stuff you wear to bed.”

“Wait what?” Regina frowned. “You’re saying I’ve been wearing night wear for the past three days?”

“Yeah,” Emma also frowned. “Wait, you didn’t know that.”

“I thought it was just comfy clothes. Henry said they were fine.”

Emma laughed and shook her head.

“Okay, no more listening to Henry. I love him but he’s ten and doesn’t have a clue. Do you want me to lay out some clothes for you?”

“That would be very much appreciated, thank you,” Regina replied.

“It’s cool,” Emma smiled before heading over and pulling one of the cases out from under the bed.

Regina watched as Emma laid out her clothes in incredible embarrassment. She hadn’t had anyone decide what she wore since she was a child, let alone lay it out for her. She’d not even had a dress maid in her later years, preferring to do it herself with a little help from her magic.

Ah, her magic. How she missed it dearly.

Once Emma had finished, she stepped away and allowed Regina to get changed behind the make-shift curtain they’d put up to give the brunette some privacy.

It took Regina a while to work out how it all worked but eventually she got there. The shirt a blue silk button-up that she tucked into a slim-fit black skirt fastened by a zip, something Henry had thankfull already taught her to operate. She wasn’t sure how she looked but when she stepped out, Emma whistled.

“Looking good, Madam Mayor.”

Regina laughed and did a twirl before she realised what she was doing and composed herself.

“Shall we go?”

“Yeah, but I’d better give you this,” Emma said, holding out what looked like a leather square. “I found it while I was in your case. Who puts their wallet in their luggage anyway?”

Regina frowned and took it from her. In it were green rectangles of paper and the strange little plastic rectangles she’d seen on the television. Looking in the smallest little compartment, she found something she recognised.

“Coins!”

“Yep, you have money,” Emma chuckled. “Bring it with us and we can go grocery shopping after we pick up Henry later. I mean, if you see anything you want. I’ll obviously pay for the general shopping.”

Regina just nodded and smiled.

 

Storybrooke was even stranger in daylight. Most of the buildings were made of wood and had been painted bright colours, all trying to look unique from each other. They drove though the town, from the outskirts near the woods that reminded Regina of home and to the docks, the open water something she had only seen on a handful of occasions.

“We look out onto the Atlantic,” Emma explained. “It’s an ocean not a sea and if Henry tells you otherwise, please correct him. He flunked his geography test last week and that’s not like him. I think this is his sucky subject but he still needs to at least pass.”

Regina had become more accustom to the way both Emma and Henry talked and could now make sense of most of it.

After the grand tour, they still had a lot of time on their hands before they had to go pick up Henry. Despite Emma’s car being noticeably run-down compared to the others they passed on their excursion, it seemed to be reasonably efficient. So with the time they had Emma decided to drive slowly down Mainstreet and point out all the different trades.

“There’s the dress shop,” Emma pointed out. “I don’t go in there often. Next to that is the drug store, the grocery store. Oh, then that’s the hair salon.”

“Hair salon?” Regina frowned.

“Yeah, you know where they cut your hair. It’s where I go and my hair is pretty awesome if I say so myself.”

Regina had to agree- Emma had lovely hair. Beautiful golden curls that framed her even more beautiful face.

Then she looked down at her hair. She’d always had her hair long but in her time locked up in Snow White’s castle had made it unreasonable so with terrible split ends. If her hair were grey, she’d look like a hag. If she was to be in charge of this town, she needed to at least look the part.

A powerful appearance was as important as power itself.

Emma must have noticed her looking at her hair and pulled over the car.

“Do you wanna have your hair cut?”

“I’d very much like to,” Regina admitted and Emma nodded in understanding.

“Okay, why don’t you head in?”

“Just walk straight in?” Regina asked with hesitation.

“Yeah,” Emma shrugged. “Go on, I doubt you’re scared of a hairdresser.”

Regina held her head high and got out of the car confidently, marching straight into the small shop.

The girl behind the desk was nice and greeted her with a smile before leading her over to sit in a chair before a large mirror.

“So what would you like doing today, ma’am?” the girl asked, fluffing up Regina’s hair.

“I don’t know,” Regina replied. “I don’t know what would be best.”

“Okay then, how do you want to look?” the girl suggested. “Cute, sexy, brooding.”

Regina looked at herself in the mirror and the corner of her lips turned up into a smirk.

“Powerful.”

 

Emma was sat in the car with music blurring when Regina walked out. As soon as their eyes met, Emma’s jaw dropped. The brunette smirked and strutted over to the passenger side and climbed into the car next to her.

“Holy fuck.”

“Language, Miss Swan,” Regina teased, testing the name on her tongue and liking it. Emma seemed to like it too as she looked at her with an awe-filled smile.

“You look great!”

Regina looked in the mirror above the car’s front window and admired her new hairstyle. It was the shortest she’d ever had it by far but she found herself loving it even more than the flamboyant hairstyles she favoured back in her days as queen. There was something about the hair that complimented the clothes she was wearing and made her appear like a force to be reckoned with. Now all she needed was make-up and she’d have the town at her feet.

“Thank you, I am very impressed with it.”

“As am I,” Emma replied. “How much did it cost?”

“I don’t know,” Regina said, too distracted by her reflection. “I gave her all the green paper that was in the wallet.”

“You did _what?_ ” Emma gasped, catching Regina’s attention. “Regina, there was easily $200 in there!”

“Is that a lot?” Regina asked and Emma put her head in her hands.

“Okay, I’ll have to go in and get it back. God, I’d give you the same talk I give Henry when he does stuff like this but considering what that new haircut is doing to me that would be incredibly inappropriate.”

Watching the blonde stumble out of the car and race into the salon, Regina smirked once again with much amusement.

She felt a lot more like herself.


	6. She's a Tramp

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all the comments and kudos. Here's another chapter so again I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

After Emma eventually got her money back, it was time to pick Henry up from school. He’d liked her hair too but was more interested in getting to the grocery store.

“They should have the new Hulk comic in!”

Emma rolled her eyes at that as they drove back down Mainstreet.

“You really need to calm it on the comics, kid.”

“But they’re so much fun,” Henry argued as they pulled up in front of the store.

“Fine,” Emma sighed. “It’s your pocket money.”

They got out of the car and headed into the store. Henry instantly spotted what he wanted and ran over.

“Hulk and the Fantastic Four!”

Regina looked to Emma questioningly and Emma shook her head.

“Don’t bother, he’ll be talking about it for the rest of the day.”

Henry then raced down the shopping isle and picked up a large bag.

“Mom, can I get some Doritos?”

“Sure,” Emma nodded, picking up a basket and letting Henry put the bag inside.

They began to walk round the small store and while Emma and Henry put their groceries in the basket which was soon unnecessarily full, Regina was distracted by all the bright coloured cans and products. Back in the Enchanted Forest, she’d never done any trading for food. She didn’t even cook it, it was placed in front of her and she ate it. But as far as she was aware, people traded gold and other goods for live animals to be slaughtered and cooked, as well as crops and spices.

Here it was more organised and there was certainly much more choice. To her it was astounding but to Emma and Henry, it was nothing out of the ordinary.

Regina knew the little desk they approached after finishing their shopping as the checkout. This was where Brenda always argued with the person stood behind it.

“Can I do the coupons?” Regina asked excitedly, at which Emma chuckled.

“I’d let you if I could but I don’t do coupons.”

At that, Regina frowned.

“But Brenda always has so many?”

“Yeah, because she’s firstly obsessed, and secondly she clearly has nothing better to do. I work and I have Henry.”

Regina had never considered that before. Her opinion of Brenda had gone down but she still admired her strength.

“I shall pay then,” Regina told her.

“Oh no, Regina it’s fine,” Emma quickly assured her but Regina shook her head.

“I insist. You have welcomed me generously into your home, this is the very least I can do.”

Emma opened her mouth to reply but another voice beat her to it.

“She’s living with you?”

They both looked in the direction of the voice and, surprise surprise, Killian Jones was stood by what was even obvious to Regina as alcohol.

Regina’s eyes narrowed as she met the scoundrel’s gave. He glared back at her with pure hatred.

“Yeah,” Emma replied, folding her arms. “She is.”

Killian didn’t break his eye contact with Regina as he replied.

“Why the hell would you do that, love? She’s dangerous!”

“What, and you’re Mr Safe?” Emma scoffed in reply.

“I’m a lot safer than her!” he shouted. “She’s violent. You shouldn’t have her around the lad!”

Regina looked away from the pathetic excuse of a man to find Henry. He was hiding behind his mother, looking at the man with wide eyes. She managed to catch his eye and offered him a reassuring smile, which he returned.

Regina could tell he was scared and it certainly wasn’t of her.

“Don’t you _dare_ question my parenting!” Emma spoke with a voice like thunder. “Regina is great with Henry and I trust her with him _way_ more than I will ever trust you.”

That made the man even angrier.

“I don’t get it. You won’t even sit and have a drink with me but you let a strange woman live with you and the lad? She’s probably homeless for crying out loud.”

“She’s not homeless!” Emma snapped back. “She’s in fact the stand-in mayor.”

Killian Jones stared Regina up and down before he burst out laughing.

“Seriously? Her? Sure she looks fancy now but that night she looked like a hobo.”

Regina didn’t know what that meant but she could tell from both Emma’s and the cashier’s reaction it was both offensive and extremely insulting.

“How dare you!” Emma gasped. “You really have no shame, do you?”

“Oh come on, love. This is ridiculous. If she’s really the new mayor then when is she starting the job? I’ve seen nothing about this.”

Emma opened her mouth to answer but Regina beat me to it.

 “Tomorrow.”

Everyone looked at her, Killian in disgust and the others in surprise. Regina wasn’t fazed by it and held her head up high.

“Regina…” Emma spoke up but Regina cut her off, addressing Killian with a spiteful smirk.

“I’ll be taking up the position tomorrow. I’m looking forward to really getting to know the town and help it move forward. Even there are a few _unsavoury characters._ ”

Regina turned her back on the pathetic man and took the overfilled basket from a shocked Emma. Before she even put it down, the cashier was reaching in and quickly scanning the items.

Maybe there was very little difference in the effect the title ‘queen’ and ‘mayor’ had on her subjects.

Once he’d scanned them all, he looked up at her nervously.

“$43 please.”

Regina pulled out her wallet and reached for the green papers but before she could, the waste of space opened his mouth again.

“Use your credit card.”

Regina turned to look at him again.

“Excuse me?”

“That’s a man’s wallet. Prove you didn’t steal it and you’re not lying about this mayor thing. Use the credit card.”

“You don’t have to,” Emma assured her quickly but there was no way Regina was going to give her the satisfaction.

She put the card into the little machine and it didn’t work. With a frown, she quickly took it out and put it in the other way. It seemed to work before the little machine’s screen read ‘enter pin’.

Regina panicked and Killian Jones noticed the hesitation.

“What? You don’t know the pin number?”

“Shut up, Killian,” Emma snapped at him.

“She’s clearly lying,” he argued back. “You should arrest her for fraud. Or are you not going to see anything again?”

Regina though, as Emma would likely put it, fuck it. She put in four random numbers and pressed enter.

She waited for the cashier to say something and for Killian Jones to mock her some more. When the man told her to take the card out, she was sure it was coming. But he just printed the receipt and began bagging the goods.

“Thank you and have a nice day, Madam Mayor,” he said, handing over the bags.

Regina took them gladly.

“Thank you very much.”

She shot Killian a glance and saw his face had reddened, likely a combination of anger and embarrassment. With one final smirk in his direction, she walked out of the store, Emma and Henry following close behind her.

 

As soon as they got back to the loft, Henry ran straight upstairs, leaving the adults alone.

Emma hadn’t spoken to Regina the entire way back and as soon as they walked in, the blonde snatched the bag and marched over to the kitchen.

Regina frowned, not completely sure what she’d done. She walked over nervously.

“Emma?”

Her speaking up seemed to make something snap in the Sheriff and she turned to face her.

“Why did you let him get a rise out of you like that?”

“Me? You were the one who did most of the arguing,” Regina pointed out, which didn’t seem to help the situation.

“Yeah but I didn’t let him push me into taking on a huge responsibility like being the _mayor._ ”

Regina folded her arms.

“It’s my job.”

At that, Emma sighed, her demeanour softening.

“Regina, you’re not ready. Sure you look good in the clothes and you have a hot haircut but there is no way you are ready for this.”

“I am ready,” Regina argued. “I’m not ill anymore.”

“Yes you are,” Emma said with emphasis. “You can’t remember things. Heck, Henry had to teach you how to turn on the TV. I can’t imagine how you must feel right now but trust me when I say this is not a good idea.”

Regina unfolded her arms and put her hands on her hips.

“You underestimate me, Miss Swan.”

Emma didn’t seem to have any argument left in her and instead reached into one of the shopping bags. She pulled out Henry’s comic and put it on the counter in front of Regina.

“Can you please take this up to Henry?”

Regina snatched it and walked up the stairs without a word. The upper landing was meant to be all Henry’s and was decorated as so, with paintings depicting heroes stuck to the walls without frames. On one side of the space was Henry’s bed with bright coloured sheets while on the other end was a lower, less sturdy-looking bed that must be Emma’s temporary cot.

Henry was sat on his bed and when he saw her, he smiled.

“Hi Regina.”

“Hello Henry,” she replied before handing him the comic. “You forgot this.”

“Cool,” he said with a grin, admiring the cover before setting it aside and patting the space beside him.

Regina hesitated but quickly gave in and sat down next to him.

“Thank you for keeping Mom away from him,” he said, taking Regina by surprise.

“I haven’t done much,” she replied but he shook his head adamantly.

“No, you’ve scared him off. He was always coming round or following us around town. Since you’ve been here, he’s left us alone.”

Regina felt a small bubble of rage beginning to boil up inside her but kept it well hidden.

“He didn’t know I was here until today, Henry,” Regina pointed out. “And your mother did most of the fighting.”

“Yeah but he always weighs her down. He’s horrible but Mom is so lonely she sometimes can’t see it.”

“Your mother isn’t lonely,” Regina quickly assured him. “She has you.”

“That’s not the same,” Henry argued back just as quick. “I’m her son. She wants a boyfriend or a girlfriend, someone else who will love her. I don’t want her to be lonely but I don’t want her to be with him. He scares me and he’ll hurt her more. Will you promise to keep him away and keep Mom safe when I can’t?”

Henry’s words struck a chord in her heart, something for a while she thought had become impossible. Without even having to think it over, she nodded.

“I promise.”

Henry’s sad expression changed into a grin. He jumped up and wrapped his little arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug.

“Thank you,” he said before burying his face into her shoulder. Regina smiled wrapped her arms around the boy. She held him for mere moments before she felt something. Something she never thought she’d feel again.

She quickly jumped back, off the bed and backing towards the stairs.

Henry looked up at her with a frown.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she lied. “I just forgot I have to tell your mother something. You enjoy your comic book.”

Henry nodded and picked up his comic book.

Regina quickly made her way down the stairs, needing to create some distance between them.

It had only been for a moment but she’d definitely felt it. The familiar tingle in her fingertips that was unmistakable.

Magic.


	7. Happy Working Song

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for the comments and kudos! Again, my grammar sucks and I own nothing. Hope you all enjoy this chapter!

What Emma referred to as ‘the town hall’ was nowhere near as grand as she’d hoped. It was in fact quite small and its design wasn’t very different from the rest of the town- a wooden exterior painted yellow. It wasn’t the colour Regina would have chosen but for now it would have to do.

Her office however was very nice, a lot of dark colours and patterns with even a chandelier hanging from the ceiling. It was very fine and sophisticated, elegant even. Regina very much approved.

“The office was decorated a few weeks back,” Emma explained. “The office was kind of drab so when the position became available, specific plans came in from Portland. It was pretty weird but I must say it looks a lot better.”

Regina couldn’t have approved more.

Regina moved behind her desk and sat in the large chair. She’d seen people do this on the television and she hoped she looked just as powerful.

Emma took the seat opposite and sat mock formally.

“Madam Mayor.”

“Sheriff Swan.”

Emma laughed and slumped back in her chair.

“How long till you’re first appointment?”

“The woman outside said I have a meeting with the town council at 10 o’clock and something called a press conference at 2 o’clock.”

“A press conference is a speech,” Regina told her. “It’ll go on the local news and the press will ask you questions.”

“Oh,” Regina said in reply. She wasn’t used to people questioning her rule. Emma must have noticed her surprise as she noticed the blonde’s expression turned to one of concern.

“If you’re not ready, we’ll cancel everything and you can go home. Right now.”

Though the thought did sound appealing, Regina shook her head.

“No, I can do this,” she replied. “This is just the first day. Strat as you mean to go on and I will never be a leader who will back down from a challenge.”

“There’s no shame in backing down,” Emma told her. “If you can’t take this on, you shouldn’t push yourself.”

Regina got out of her chair and looked to the window. She looked out onto the grounds and saw an apple tree outside. It reminded her of her own precious tree, likely cut down and replaced with a monument to Snow White by now.

“The last time I backed down, I lost everything. I’m never doing that again.”

Emma opened her mouth to reply before there was a knock at her office door.

“Come in,” Regina called and the door opened to reveal a very handsome man with scruffy curly brown hair.

“Good morning, Madam Mayor,” he greeted her nervously. She was about to reply but Emma interrupted before she could.

“Graham, what the hell? I put you on patrol.”

The man looked to Emma and smiled like a mischievous child.

“I wanted to meet this Regina you won’t shut up about.”

Regina instantly looked to Emma, whose cheeks were now bright red. She decided not add to the blonde’s embarrassment, she walked round the desk and held her hand out to the deputy.

“That would be me, Regina Mills.”

The man smiled and shook her hand eagerly.

“Graham Hunter,” he replied. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am.”

“Please call me Regina,” she replied. “Any friend of Emma’s is a friend of mine.”

“Likewise,” he nodded before looking over to Emma. “You were right, she is gorgeous.”

Emma growled and got to her feet, marching over to them.

“Okay, time for you to go,” she said, pushing Graham out of the room. “There are cats to save and cars to ticket.”

Regina watched the scene with amusement and once they’d left, she shook her head.

Emma was such an idiot.

 

The council meeting had been mostly angry townsfolk complaining.

_“The dock needs more regulation.”_

_“The library needs to be reopened.”_

_“The most of the buses are from the 80’s.”_

_“The elementary school needs refurbishing.”_

_“The Sheriff station needs a new coffee machine.”_

Regina shot Emma a glare, who held her hands up defensively while she slouched in her chair.

“What? We do.”

Regina sighed and put her head in her hands. It was so much easier when people were too scared of her to come nagging in her ear. Now they were doing it all at once.

“One at a time and I want you to explain what it exactly is you want me to do.”

“We’ve told you,” a middle-aged man with a scruffy beard snapped. “No I want you to get these Boston yachts out of our dock. I wanna be able to gut my fish without some big city hotshot telling me I’m disgusting.”

“And I want my kids riding around on a bus that is older than I am,” a well-dressed woman with more make-up than a jester quickly added.

“And we need to make the school look presentable now that fancy private school opened in the next town over,” cut in a lanky man with glasses so thick Regina was sure he could read her mind. “We won’t be able to compete.”

“And we all need to get reading again,” a mousy woman pipped up.

That was it. Regina had heard enough.

“That is enough for today,” Regina cut them off, causing Emma to sit up. She knew then that she was stepping out of line but she didn’t care. “Come back to me with something more than a vague request and I’ll think about it.”

“Think about it?” the bearded man frowned. “You’re meant to do what we want. You’re the one who is meant to make stuff happen.”

“That may be, sir,” Regina replied. “But I’m not a genie and I’m not psychic. I don’t know what you want and if you were as passionate about this, you’d have a detailed plan ready for me to consider. Now I have no idea how the last mayor handled things but I for one do not spoon feed. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have much more important things to do than listen to you all whine like spoilt brats.”

Regina stormed out and headed to her office, slamming the door shut behind her.

She paced the room, fists clenched, trying to calm down. The way they spoke to her, with no respect and throwing their petty demands at her left, right, and centre. She hated it, she hated it so much. No one had spoken to her like that in years and she’d been through too much to be back at that point again.

She stopped and bunched up her hair in fists. Closing her eyes, she let out a cry of frustration. The lights flickered on above her, making a loud buzzing noise that got louder, and louder, and louder then…

_SMASH_

Regina jumped, startled by the sound. The vase on the mantelpiece across the room had shattered, or to be more accurate, exploded. Before she had time to register what had happened, the door burst open and Emma ran in, her arms outstretched and holding onto a metal object.

“Are you okay? What happened?”

“Umm, I knocked the vase over,” Regina panicked and rightfully so, Emma saw the obvious flaw in her lie.

“You knocked over a vase that was way over there from way over here?”

“I-I ran back,” Regina said, shrugging in attempt to try act casual. She looked down at the object in Emma’s hand with a frown. “What’s that?”

“It’s my firearm,” Emma replied, putting it back in the little compartment on her hip. Regina had thought it a small money pouch but it turned out it wasn’t.

“It doesn’t look like an arm,” Regina’s frowned deepened.

“Regina, you know what a gun is,” Emma said with a light laugh. “And before you ask, I carry it around for work. I’ve never actually hurt anyone with it.”

Regina eyed the ‘gun’ nervously. How could such a small, blunt object hurt someone?

“What was all that about in there?” Emma asked, her voice laced with concern. “Is this too much for you? I knew it. Okay, I’ll go talk to them and call off this press conference off. Then we can go home and chill till the kid gets home.”

“No, no,” Regina shook her head. “I’m fine. It’s just those people, they were so rude.”

“Of course they are,” Emma laughed. “They are a load of busybodies who got themselves onto the council and the illusion of power has gone to their head.”

“Well I don’t like it and they will not speak to me like that again!”

Emma sighed and took Regina’s hand, leading her over to the couch.

“Come sit and calm down.”

Regina did just that, internally trying desperately to cool down her anger before another incident happened that was most definitely the work of her magic. Now she was glad she had not attempted to attempt magic last night as it was clearly being quite temperamental.

Emma sat down next to her.

“Look these people are always gonna be like this. I know it’s annoying, I feel exactly the same way. Just listen and nod along. The whole reason for these meetings is to hear what the people want. Think of it like research. You find out what the town want and you find a way that makes it work. Most of those guys live in fairyland where money grows from trees. You won’t be able to please everyone but it’s not always about pleasing people, it’s about doing the best for them.”

If it had been Snow White who had said that, she’d have scoffed at her naivety. But Emma wasn’t naïve and she knew for the most part the blonde had her feet firmly on the ground.

“I get it,” Regina nodded before putting her hand up to cover a yawn. Of course Emma was concerned about that.

“Hey, are you tired? Is this too much for you to handle?”

“No,” Regina said firmly. “I just didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.”

“Fair enough,” Emma nodded in understanding. “First day nerves can do that.”

Yes, first day nerves, as well as mulling over her hatred for Killian Jones and worrying about her magic’s unexpected return.

She yawned again and Emma did the same.

“Damn it,” Emma sighed. “It’s contagious.”

Regina laughed lightly before yawning again. She was pretty tired.

Emma sprawled herself out on the long couch and opened her arms.

“We’ve got some time for you to nap. I’ll be your pillow.”

Regina rolled her eyes but accepted the blonde’s invitation and snuggled up to her, laying half beside her and half on top.

It didn’t take long for Regina to fall asleep and in what seemed like no time at all, she was awoken by Emma bolting upright.

She groaned as she sat up.

“Emma, what are you doing?”

“The press are outside waiting. I fell asleep. Shit, I’m sorry.”

Regina groggily got to her feet.

“Its fine,” she assured her. “I’ve given speeches on much less notice.”

Emma didn’t answer, just started messing with Regina’s hair. The brunette stood still while the blonde flattened down her bed head. Once she was done, the sheriff grinned.

“Beautiful. Now let’s get out there.”

Regina quickly adjusted her clothes before following the blonde out of her office. When they reached the front doors, Emma opened them to reveal a small crowd, some mere witnesses while others carried strange pieces of machinery, all pointing at her.

Emma led her to stand front and centre before she went to the side to join Graham. Feeling a sudden flurry of Regina looked over at her nervously and the blonde gave her two thumbs up with an encouraging nod.

Regina looked out to the crowd and began to speak.

“People of Storybrooke, I am Regina Mills. My job here is to take up the position of mayo until such a time an election can be arranged. Now, I’ve not been in Storybrooke long. Barely even a blink of an eye compared to those who have lived here all their lives, those who this town is part of their very being. I know there will be doubts that, because I’m a stranger, I don’t understand how important and unique this town is. But I tell you now, that is not the case. Yes, I haven’t been in Storybrooke long, but I can honestly say it is unlike any place I have ever been. Your brightly coloured houses and beautiful scenery a truly breath-taking sight, complimented by both luscious forest and deep blue sea. But that isn’t what makes Storybrooke so important, in fact, that isn’t even scratching the surface. What makes Storybrooke so special is the people who call it home. You are what make this town a place of joy and somewhere were even the most terrified of weary travellers can find safety. Now my job from this day forward is to make sure this town stays that way for the generations to come and those, like myself, who wish to someday call Storybrooke home.”

The small crowd applauded, cheering and whistling in approval. Regina looked over to Emma who smiled brightly as she clapped louder than anyone there.

Regina couldn’t help but smile also. Though fear was the most affective was of ruling, she found that adoration felt a lot better.


	8. To Build a Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all the comments and kudos! Here's another fluffy chapter that I hope you all like before things really start to heat up! Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Enjoy!

The rest of the week had gone by much smoother. Regina had gotten to grips with the daily responsibilities of mayor, there had been no more run-ins with Killian Jones, and she had not accidently used magic again.

It was Emma’s day off and she’d persuaded her to take the day off too. Henry was still at school so she was slightly confused as to why Emma would want them to spend this particular day off.

When they pulled up outside a large white house, she was even more confused.

“What are we doing here?” Regina asked as they both climbed out of Emma’s car. Emma called it ‘The Bug’ but Regina secretly named it ‘The Monstrosity’.

“This is 108 Mifflin Street,” Emma told her, looking over at the house with a smile. “Big house, like one of the biggest in town. Prime real estate and worth a fortune. It was also recently purchased by one Regina Mills.”

Regina’s eyes widened and looked to Emma in surprise.

“This is my home?”

“I wouldn’t say home,” Emma corrected her. “You never actually moved in. But hopefully it will be, one day when you’re ready. It goes without saying that you’ll be totally welcome to stay with us until you’re feeling up to it. We love having you with us.”

Regina didn’t pay much attention to Emma’s rambling. She was too busy studying the place that supposedly belonged to her. She’d never really had a place that was completely hers, which no one else had a claim to and threatened to take it away. It wasn’t a mighty castle but it was grander than most of what she’d seen of Storybrooke and, although it wasn’t a worthy home for a queen, it was quite enough for a mayor.

“Can we go inside?”

“Sure,” Emma nodded, opening the gate and leading her up the path. Two long hedges lined the entire length of the path, separating it to the lawns either side. Surrounding the grand porch were four pots holding tall plants that were trimmed into a spiral effect. Trees hung overhead, casting a shadow on the house that would likely move as the day went on.

So far, Regina approved.

Once they reached the front door, Emma reached into her pocket and pulled out a key on a keychain that resembled an apple.

“These were the keys we found in your car. Hope it doesn’t sound creepy that I’ve kept hold of them. I didn’t want to overwhelm you.”

“I don’t think you’re creepy,” Regina assured her. “I trust you.”

Emma smiled brightly at that before holding out the keys.

“You should do the honours.”

Regina took the key and looked at it curiously. Keys were different here, much smaller and compact. Emma had a lot of keys- for the loft, for the monstrosity, for the sheriff’s station, for her office at the sheriff’s station, and her police cruiser that she apparently never uses. They were all held on the same keychain that had a picture of her and Henry hanging on it in a little plastic frame.

Hers was different. There was only one key and a less personal keychain. Yes, she did love apples but she’d much rather have a picture of Emma and Henry instead. Still, it was her key to her house.

Taking a deep breath, she copied what she’d seen Emma do many times and put the key into the small lock and turning it. There was a click and the door opened.

The first thing that caught Regina’s eye was the larch staircase that twists round the front of the house like a serpent, leading up to the upstairs landing. The walls were painted white and the floors were a varnished wood. Otherwise, it was a similar style to her office. The furniture were similar colours and designs to that of her office yet with a more informal feel, more homely.

It was exactly what she would want. Who had done this?

“There are plenty of bedrooms, a study, a huge backyard. Wi-fi is all set up and there is a huge TV in the den. Me and the kid are totally coming round for a movie night. There’s a garage too that you can put stuff. Oh and there is a gardener but if you’d rather do it yourself then I’ll give them a call.”

Regina was feeling rather overwhelmed by the whole situation.

This was definitely not the Dark One’s doing. He’d have her living in squalor or put her in a situation that would be purely torturous. Never would he give her a perfect home, a position of power, or allowed her to encounter a wonderful person such as Emma Swan.

It more resembled a scenario she’d build for herself. But she hadn’t. Even if she’d known a way, she was week in those last days in the Enchanted Forest. She could barely manage a flicker of magic let alone enough to create something like this. That was complex magic far beyond her ability and understanding. She’d at the very least need a ready-made curse to conjure it, which she did not have. Once there had been a similar curse but the Dark One had given it to another.

No, this was the work of someone else.

“Wanna have a look around?”

Emma’s voice brought her out of her thoughts. She wanted to agree, push her worries to the back of her mind. But she couldn’t manage it. She just wasn’t ready.

So she put on a brave face and shook her head.

“No, not today.”

“Hey, are you okay?” Emma asked almost instantly. At first the blonde’s constant concern had annoyed her but now she was beginning to find it quite, dare she say it, charming.

“I’m fine,” Regina lied before giving a half truth. “This is all just a little overwhelming. I need some more time.”

“Hey, I get it,” Emma said in understanding. “Let’s get outta here.”

Putting a comforting hand on her lower back, Emma led her out of the house. She helped Regina lock the door before putting her hands in her pockets, rocking on her heels with a guilty expression on her face.

“Okay, I may have had a surprise planned for you but if you’re not up to it then it can wait for another day.”

“Oh no, please,” Regina nodded insistently. “I’d like it.”

“Are you sure?” Emma asked, sounding unsure.

“Yes,” Regina gave another adamant nod. “Surprise me, Miss Swan.”

She had become quite fond of that nickname and the slight blush it caused on the blonde’s cheeks.

Emma reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. Regina watched curiously as the other woman tapped away on it. The technology in this world both baffled and amazed her. Did she have a phone? She made a not to ask Emma about that later.

Once Emma had finished whatever she was doing and had put her phone way, she looked to Regina with an excited grin.

“Take my hand and close your eyes.”

Regina looked at the outstretched hand suspiciously but took it anyway and closed her eyes as instructed. She’d never have done this with anyone else but she trusted Emma, truly.

Unable to see, she carefully allowed Emma to lead her down what she knew was the path leading to the street. She heard the gate squeak open then after a few steps close behind them, indicating they were now on the sidewalk.

With her eyes shut, Regina put all her effort into her hearing. She could hear a noise approaching, unable to identify it at first but it didn’t take her long to realise it was a car engine. It sounded smoother, much heathier than the monstrosity. It got louder and louder until it came to a slow stop.

“Okay,” Emma spoke up. “Open your eyes.”

Regina’s eyes flickered open and she couldn’t help but gasp. It was a car, sure enough. The most beautiful of all the cars she had seen. It was painted pure black, no scratches or bumps like Emma’s. Every part of the exterior shined like polished jewels and the long regal design was very appealing to her.

It was just perfect. She doubted she’d ever love it anywhere near as much as she loved Rocinante. But if she didn’t have her beloved horse, she might as well travel in style.

Graham got out of the driver’s side, twirling the keyring on his index finger.

“That is a beautiful car. Sure you want it, Regina? Because I’d happily buy it off you.”

“She’s not selling it,” Emma told him firmly before looking to Regina. “What do you think?”

“It’s wonderful, thank you.”

“Don’t thank us, it’s your car. We found it on a dirt track out in the woods.”

Regina felt that same pang of worry one more but didn’t have much time loiter on it as Graham let out a loud whistle.

“Hey Madam Mayor, look lively,” she said as he threw over the keys. Regina barely even blinked and caught them with one hand. She could catch speeding arrows; he’d have to do much better than that.

“Graham!” Emma huffed but he ignored her and clapped his hands.

“Good catch, Regina.”

“Thank you,” she replied before looking down at the key. It was handing on a keychain, a similar design to her one for the house but instead of an apple, it was a horse.

“You know I can’t drive,” she pointed out and Emma nodded.

“Yeah, I figured you wouldn’t remember. Don’t worry, I’ll teach you.”

“You will?”

“Sure,” Emma shrugged. “I’d be happy to help you in any way I can.”

Regina smiled brighter than she thought was possible.

Thoughts of curses and hidden agendas were pushed to the back of her mind. She didn’t care in that very moment. She was so incredibly happy and that was all thanks to Emma and Henry, nothing else. They were what made this world special for her.

She just wanted to enjoy moments like this as, if her experiences had taught her anything, happiness was quickly followed by a downward spiral.

Little did she know that the cause of it would be hiding out of sight barely a stone throw away, watching the scene with disgust and a thirst for vengeance.


	9. Cold Little Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, thanks for all the great comments and kudos and I'm so sorry this chapter has taken longer than expected. Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Enjoy!

“Regina, you’re pressing the breaks too hard.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay, now remember to use your indicators.”

Regina indicated left and turned off down another street. They’d been going for a drive at least once a day for two weeks and she was proud of how far she had come. She hadn’t stalled in three days and so far hadn’t injured anybody.

Emma said she already had a licence but she was keeping a hold of both her licence and her car keys until she was actually able to drive. On a night, she and Henry had been helping her learn the Highway Code and all the signs which she was much better at.

Still, all in all, she thought she was doing well.

They pulled up outside the sheriff’s station and Regina handed Emma the keys.

“Another successful lesson,” Emma smiled as she pocket them. “Well done, Madam Mayor.”

“Why thank you, Miss Swan,” Regina replied. “Same time tomorrow?”

“Yeah definitely,” the blonde nodded. “I’m actually really enjoying this.”

“Risking your life to teach me how to drive?”

“Kinda,” Emma laughed before shrugging. “I just love spending time with you.”

“Emma, we live together,” Regina reminded her and Emma laughed again.

“Yeah, I know, I just love spending time with you,” she repeated.

Regina couldn’t help but smile.

“I love spending time with you too,” she told her, making the blonde grin brightly.

“Good, I’m glad.”

“Me too.”

They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments before Regina checked her watch.

“I’d better get going. I have a meeting at three.”

“Really?” Emma asked, not managing to hide her disappointment. “With who?”

“No idea. It’s just in my diary.”

Emma frowned with obvious worry.

“Do you want me to be there in case it’s a weirdo?”

“I can handle myself just fine, Miss Swan,” Regina assured her. “Thank you though.”

“Anytime and if it is a weirdo, call me.”

“Will do,” Regina assured her as she got out of the car. “And don’t damage my car.”

Regina had shut the car door but Regina had gotten out of her side and called after her.

“At least I can actually drive!”

Regina shook her head as she walked away, still smiling.

 

Regina loved her phone. Turns out she hadn’t had one after all so Emma drove her to a phone store a few towns over to get one. Henry had shown her how to use it and set a selfie of him as her wallpaper. She had a few numbers in her contacts but the only one she every used was Emma. They had a little text chat going on and it was so much fun. She’d also signed her up to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Though she enjoyed them well enough, her favourite thing was _Candy Crush._ Now that was a fun game!

Just as she was really on the ball, her secretary knocked on her door and pocked her head through, interrupting her gaming.

“Madam Mayor, you’re 3 o’clock is here.”

“Send them in,” she replied, shutting off her phone and sitting up in her chair.

A few moments later, the door opened again and Graham walked in.

“Hey Regina,” he greeted her as he walked over and sat in the seat opposite her. “How’s things?”

“Very well, thank you” Regina replied, surprised to see it was the deputy who had organised such a formal meeting. “How can I help you today, Graham?”

“I’m sorry for being mysterious about this,” he said. “I didn’t want Emma to find out.”

Regina was instantly worried.

“Graham, if you are making a complaint about Emma, I…”

“Oh no, no, no,” he quickly stopped her. “I’m perfectly happy with my job and I love working with Emma. She’s my best friend and that’s why I’m here.”

“Oh?”

Graham leaned back in his chair and stared off into space, clearly trying to work out how to say what he wanted to. That worried Regina too. Did he not approve of her living with Emma and Henry? Did he feel she was taking advantage?

“Emma likes you.”

Well that certainly wasn’t what she expected.

“Yes,” Regina replied with a confused frown. “We’re friends. I’m sure if she didn’t like me she wouldn’t let me stay in her home.”

Graham chuckled and shook his head.

“No, I mean she _likes_ you.”

“What do you mean she _likes_ me?” Regina questioned impatiently. She hated such riddles.

“I mean she likes you romantically,” Graham replied, causing Regina to tense.

“W-what?”

“She has a total crush on you,” he told her. “You’re all she talks about and whenever you text her she blushes like a schoolgirl. When she sees you her face lights up and I’ve never seen her so happy. So, if you feel the same way, please just ask her out. And if not, don’t lead her along. She’s my best friend and I want her to be happy.”

Regina nodded in understanding, her heart beating hard in her chest.

“Thank you for telling me this,” she said calmly in reply. “I very much appreciate it.”

“No problem,” Graham smiled before getting to his feet. “Oh and please don’t tell Emma I told you all this. She’d totally kill me.”

“My lips are sealed,” Regina assured him and the man gave her an awkward thumbs up before leaving her office.

Once the door of her office shut, Regina let out a deep breath.

Getting to her feet, she began to slowly pace the room. This was certainly not how she’d expected this day to go.

 

Emma had gone to drop off Henry to his soccer practise (Henry wasn’t too keen but Emma said exercise was important) leaving Regina home alone for a while. In a way she was glad as she was still processing what Graham had told her that afternoon.

Emma had romantic feelings for her!

The thought filled her with both joy and dread.

Joy because…Emma.

Dread because…Daniel.

She’d be lying if she said she hadn’t thought of Emma in a romantic context before that day. It wasn’t the first time she’d had such feelings for a woman either. But her world hadn’t been like this one and such feelings were misunderstood. She hadn’t felt safe exploring those feelings before, except for one incident with Maleficent but that had been a complex situation.

Here, her feelings felt safer. She felt no shame in the butterflies she felt when Emma smiled, or the blushes when Emma teased her. Maybe the difference was that Emma had the same preferences and knew she wouldn’t judge her. Or maybe it was because Emma was a good person and trusted her not to use it against her.

Yes, she had thought of Emma romantically quite often. But in no world has she thought she would feel the same. That was crazy!

Emma was beautiful, kind, funny, likeable, unique, loveable, amusingly idiotic, and so many more things that made her so wonderful. So why the hell was she at all interested in her?

Then again, she also thought dating Killian Jones was a good idea so she likely just had terrible taste.

But Regina swore she would not be a Killian Jones. She’d protect both Emma and Henry, never betray them or hurt them. That was already the case, even without the potential for romance.

Then there was the thing that had haunted her for years.

Daniel.

Was she ready to try move on? Yes, she believed she was. Was she prepared for her heart to break again? No, not at all. The thought of losing Emma made her feel sick, as it did with Henry. After Daniel, after Rocinante, after her father, she couldn’t lose anyone else. Her damaged heart wasn’t strong enough to take it.

But this was a new world, right? A world where she wasn’t The Evil Queen but Regina Mills, a normal person who could have a happy normal life. It wouldn’t be that impossible, right?

Her thoughts were interrupted by Emma coming through the door.

“Hey, sorry for taking so long, I got cornered by one of the other moms and couldn’t get away.”

Regina watched as Emma hung up her coat and walked to the kitchen area.

She’d made her decision. She was going to go for it.

Getting to her feet, she approached Emma nervously.

“I’m making pasta bake,” Emma told her as she got a bag of pasta and ready-made sauce out of one of the cupboards. “Hopefully it’ll be ready by the time the kid gets back.”

Regina watched as Emma made her way over to the fridge and began rummaging through it.

“Emma,” she pipped up. “I wanted to talk to you….”

“Oh fuck,” Emma cut her off. “I forgot the fucking cheese, shit. Now I have to run to the store.”

“I’ll go,” Regina quickly offered, finally catching the other woman’s attention.

“You will?”

“Yeah,” Regina shrugged. “No problem.”

Emma smiled brightly and Regina felt the butterflies again.

“Thanks, here I’ll give you some money.”

“No need,” Regina quickly assured her as she slipped on her coat and picked up her handbag. “I can handle buying you some cheese.”

“Okay cool,” Emma nodded, still smiling. “Get the stuff grated in the bag. Don’t get anything smelly, just cheddar or something.”

“Cheese in a bag that doesn’t smell,” Regina repeated as she opened the door. “Got it.”

She headed out of the apartment and down the stairs with a cunning plan in mind. Get the cheese, bring it back efficiently, then as Emma if she’d like to go to dinner- the first step in this world’s courting process.

It was a good plan, one she thought could not fail. The operative word being _thought._

 

It was late evening and the store was empty beside the kid sat behind the counter with headphones on.

Regina strode into the shop and found the cheese with ease. She scanned the small section of refrigerated shelves before finding what she needed. Cheddar cheese, grated. With a small smile of victory, she picked up the bag and began walking towards the front of the store.

That was until a familiar voice spoke up from behind her.

“Fancy seeing you here, Madam Mayor.”

Regina sighed and turned around, facing Killian Jones who was holding a large bottle of alcohol in his hand.

“Good evening, Mr Jones. What can I do for you?”

Killian shrugged, taking a few steps closer.

“You could leave Emma alone for starters. Perhaps leave town and never come back. Those are a few things you could do.”

Regina laughed spitefully and shook her head.

“Never going to happen.”

Killian ground his teeth as they both shared a glare.

“You’re going to regret all of this.”

“Oh am I?” Regina questioned challengingly. “How do you see that happening than, Mr Jones? Because I don’t see that happening personally.”

Something in the man seemed to snap and he stormed towards her.

She flinched for a second, not even that. But that was enough.

Killian Jones flew through the air and collided with the discount basket at the far end of the isle. The bottle went flying too, hitting the ground and shattering, glass going everywhere.

Regina didn’t even feel her magic. It just happened uncontrollably without her even noticing.

She stared at the scene before her in shock as Killian groaned and sat up.

“Fucking bitch. I knew there was something off about you!”

“Hey!” the guy behind the counter called over. “What’s going on over there?”

Quickly composing herself, Regina shot Killian a glare before walking to the counter.

“He’s drunk,” she explained to the guy before putting the cheese down in front of him. “Just this please.”

The guy rang her up and once she’d pay, she practically ran out of the store.

Her heart was beating so hard that she thought it was going to jump out of her chest. What had just happened? How the hell had she done that?

She knew her magic returning was bad news. Sure back in the early days her magic had been temperamental but it had never been like that. In the Enchanted Forest, there was magic in the air, in the earth, in everything. Here there was nothing and she was beginning to believe that was the problem.

Before she’d even properly gathered her thoughts, she’d reacted the door leading up to Emma’s home. Regina stared at the door, conflicted as to what to do next.

Of course she wanted to go straight up and help Emma make dinner before Henry came home. Of course she wanted to take Emma to dinner and take the chance on a happy ending.

But she’d also sworn to protect them and she wouldn’t be protecting them if she wondered in with a ticking time bomb of magic that could cause them serious harm. No, she couldn’t risk that around Emma and certainly not around Henry.

Regina looked down at the nag of cheese in her hand. This was meant to be a great evening. She was going to ask Emma to dinner and have a nice meal with her and Henry. Now she had to let them go to keep them safe.

Wiping a stray tear from her check, she decided to leave the cheese and walk away. She didn’t want to and it hurt to even think about it, but it would be worse to hurt them. Something that would inevitably happen.

Then, just as she was about to put the bag through the letterbox, there was a loud echoing sound in the distance. Like a thunderclap but this was closer and sharper.

Regina frowned and looked in the direction of the sound just as large purple cloud covered the sky above in a sudden rush, there one minute and gone the next.

Regina jumped back from the door, looking up at the sky in disbelief.

“That’s impossible,” she spoke under her breath. “It can’t be.”

It was in that moment that she felt it. Something had shifted in the air and Regina knew it well.

Magic.

A bright smile appeared on Regina’s lips as she revelled in the return of her full power. However the moment was cut short by the door flying open and Emma rushing out.

“Did you see that?” she said, looking up at the sky with wide eyes.

“Y-yes,” Regina quickly composed herself. “It was very strange.”

Emma stared up at the sky a little more before shrugging.

“Oh well, the sky isn’t in my jurisdiction. Hey, you got the cheese.”

Regina looked down at the bag of cheese before holding it out to the blonde, who took it and looked at the back.

“Perfect! Thanks Regina.”

With the sudden return of her powers, Regina felt a sudden rush of confidence. She put a hand behind her back and tried her magic, testing if it had indeed returned or remained temperamental.

“Emma Swan,” she spoke up, get the other woman’s attention. “Would you do the honour of accompanying me to dinner?”

Emma looked at her in confusion and held up the cheese.

“We’re having dinner. I’m in the middle of making it.”

Regina rolled her eyes and repeated the question much clearer.

“Emma Swan, would you do the honour in accompanying me to dinner on another night were it is just we two.”

Emma seemed to get it that time as her eyebrows raised so quick Regina was half expecting them to fly off her head.

“What, like a date?”

Instead of giving her a verbal answer, Regina offered her the product of her magic- a single flower. Not a rose, that was too cliché. No, this was a new flower, one she pictured in her mind that very moment. A flower made especially for Emma.

Emma herself just stared at the flower, speechless. As the moments passed, Regina began to panic. Had Graham read the signs wrong? Did Emma not like her that way? Had she just made an absolute fool of herself?

Just as she was trying to find herself a good cover to make the imminent rejection less awkward, Emma’s face broke into a bright smile.

“I’d love to,” she beamed, accepting the smile and sniffed it. “Hey, this smells like apples.”

Regina couldn’t help but smile like an idiot.

“Great. Let’s head up and get the dinner in the oven. I’m sure Henry won’t think this a good excuse for delaying his food.”

Emma laughed and nodded in agreement, holding the flower close to her.

Regina followed Emma inside. She had a lot of questions and a lot of concerns. The same she’d always had- magic, Killian Jones, whoever it was who gave her such a perfect life. But she just wanted this evening, were she had a promised date with Emma Swan and her happy ending was one step closer.


	10. How You Remind Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, sorry this chapter is late again! Though it may seem small, it is a pretty important one! Thanks for all the great comments and kudos and again, I won nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

Technically it wasn’t stealing. They were her car keys after all. They just happened to be in Emma’s jacket pocket.

The sheriff thought she was cunning but parking the car outside Graham’s apartment wasn’t the most fool-proof hiding space. Luckily both Sheriff and Deputy were doing a talk at Henry’s school that she’d deviously arranged so hopefully she could get there and back before wither of them noticed it had been moved.

Though she was a little nervous about driving without Emma at her side, Regina managed to drive out to the woods without issue. She parked on one of the dirt roads well out of sight of the main road and cast a spell over the car so that she’d be able to find her way back once she’d found what she was looking for.

She’d never learnt the skill of tracking, as most young ladies of high stature didn’t, but luckily she didn’t need such a skill that day. As the thing she was looking for existed in her very soul and she was drawn to it like a moth to a flame.

Magic.

Though she had not been completely sure that the magic had come from the woods, only going by something Emma had said about a call that came in to the station, when she began walking she could sense it was close. The power was immense, beyond anything she had ever felt. A part of her was intrigued, the rest was terrified.

After walking for a long while, feeling the magic getting even more powerful, she came across a small well. Regina hadn’t seen a well since arriving in Storybrooke and upon seeing it, she felt a strange feeling of nostalgia.

As she approached it, she could feel the magic getting noticeably stronger and stronger. Finally reaching the well, she placed a hand against the grey stone and that was when she could feel the magic instantly. She examined the structure with a frown- this was definitely the source of the magic.

But, unless Rumpelstiltskin had failed to tell her something during their lessons, wells were not themselves sources of magic. So someone must have meddled.

Looking down to the bottom of the well, Regina squinted into the darkness. She could see a shimmer but the well was unusually deep and she could not tell whether it was water or something else. Maybe she did need the glasses Emma had suggested.

As she was about to lean over further, she heard a napping sound behind her that almost made her fall in. Standing straight and spinning around, she came face to face with a tall brunette man wearing a black leather jacket. This man was luckily not Killian Jones, he was broader, much more handsome and didn’t wear all that ridiculous eye makeup.

While she stared at him cautiously, he looked at her with shinning eyes and a bright smile. Though she wasn’t the best with faces, she knew she’d never seen him before yet he looked at her like a long lost friend. Not that she’d know what that looked like. She had no friends, well maybe two.

“Regina”, the man finally spoke, his deep vice filled with emotion. “You look very well.”

“Who are you?” Regina quickly demanded. “What do you want?”

For the slightest moment a look of hurt passed over the man’s face but it was gone quicker than it appeared.

“I’m a friend,” the man answered. “Someone who is here to help you.”

“Why?” Regina questioned. “Are you working with Rumpelstiltskin?”

“No I’m not,” the man quickly assured her. “I’d never work for that man.”

“So you know him?” she frowned, taking a cautious step closer. “You’re from the Enchanted Forest?”

“That I am,” the man smiled softly. “Though I haven’t been there since I was a child.”

Regina held her head high. Though she was much smaller than the man but was very capable of demobilising an army of men with a single glare.

“So you know who I am? What I will do to you I even think you are lying to me?”

Honestly, Regina was not as intolerant to liars as she had been. For example, she knew the dock master was lying about the damage being done to the dock by these ‘city folk’ from what Emma had told her about some of the local fisherman. So she just took what he told her with a pinch of salt instead of the one of the range of punishment she saved for liars.

A lie that may threaten Emma and Henry was a different story. Unfortunately, the man didn’t seem at all scared of her and laughed softly.

“Yes, I know who you are and that’s not the reason why I’d never lie to you.”

“Oh really?” Regina raised a challenging eyebrow. “And why is that?”

The man opened his mouth, eager to tell her. But he stopped herself before he could.

“Because of a reason that will have to wait, for now.”

Regina didn’t like that answer and was about to tell him that when a voice echoed through the trees. It was a good distance away but it seemed to jump the man into action.

“I thought I’d have more time,” he explained as he reached into her pocket. “I’ll see you and until then, let this assure you that I am someone you can trust.”

He took her hand and she felt something land in her palm. Their hands connected, the man looked into her confused eyes with a look of fondness.

“It was so good to see you again, Regina.”

With that he took off, vanishing into the trees.

Regina looked down at her closed hand and nervously opened it. Upon seeing what the man had given her, her breath caught in her throat and her other hand shot up to cover her mouth as tears formed in her eyes.

It was Daniel’s ring on the chain that had hung it round her neck for years.

When she knew defeat was imminent, Snow White’s forces nearing as she hid in the small hunter’s cottage after the fall of her castle. There was a field behind, on top of a hill that looked over the valley below. There was a small tree in the middle and Regina had taken a risk in walking to it. There she had removed the chain from around her neck and finally, after years of fighting in his name, she laid him to rest at the foot of the tree. He’d had to watch her do so many terrible things, he deserved a beautiful view instead of watching her defeat.

Upon reaching Storybrooke, she’d regretted it some. She wanted Daniel to see Emma and Henry, watch her become a person he could be proud of and know that she was happy. Now he was here with her, it was bittersweet.

“Regina!”

Regina almost jumped out of her skin at the familiar voice. She looked up and saw Emma marching towards her, Graham trailing behind her.

“Emma?”

“Do you know how worried I was?” the other woman snapped before pulling her into a tight embrace. “I’d thought something had happened to you.”

Regina relaxed into the embrace, wrapping her arms around Emma with Daniel’s ring held tight in her hand.

“I’m fine. I just wanted to come here, find some answers.”

It wasn’t a lie per say, it was just vague and open to interpretation.

“Well don’t you ever do anything like this again. When I realised you were missing, my heart almost fell into my stomach. You’re lucky Graham is a tracker otherwise you could have been out here for days!”

Regina didn’t reply, just held Emma tight with her arms, her hold on Daniel loosening slightly.

She closed her eyes, her mind a mess of incoherent thoughts. All she knew was that only she knew were this ring was buried which meant that not only was this man telling the truth but that her past would eventually come back to haunt her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: a date...


	11. A Night to Remember

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, thanks for all the great comments and kudos! Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

Everything was meant to be perfect. The plan was that Regina would get changed at work and pick up Emma from the loft. Then, with Graham watching Henry, she’d take Emma out to dinner at a local restaurant.

From the selection of clothes she had, she picked the best dress she had and packed up all her make up to take to work.

Everything was going fine until she tried to get ready. First of all the dress didn’t fit in the right places and she found it difficult to apply her make up in the cramped bathroom. When she’d totally messed up her eyeliner wing, she accepted defeat and used her magic.

She replaced the unfaltering dress with one that hugged her just right and waved a hand over her face, perfectly applied makeup appearing in an instant.

This wasn’t how she’d wanted to get ready for her date- she wanted to experience it like a person of this world would without the help of magic. But she also wanted this date to be perfect and she wasn’t about to show up to what could be one of the most important nights of her life not looking her best.

So, after picking up the bouquet she’d ordered from the florist, she made her way to the loft. When she knocked on the door, she heard quick heavy feet and the door opened to reveal Henry.

“Regina, you look awesome!”

“Thank you, Henry,” Regina smiled as she walked into the loft. She didn’t know why she was so nervous walking into the place she had been living for weeks now but she most definitely was.

Graham got up from his spot on the couch and moved behind Henry, putting his hands on the boys shoulders.

“Looking good, Madam Mayor.”

“Thank you, Deputy,” Regina replied. “Do you know where the Sheriff is?”

“Upstairs, I’ll get her,” Graham replied before moving to the bottom of the stairs. “Hey Emma, your date is here!”

“Coming!” Emma called back and Graham rolled his eyes.

“She’ll be another three hours,” he told Regina before there was a loud stomping sound from above.

“I heard that!”

Regina chuckled and shook her head.

“She’s been up there for ages,” Henry complained. “Like a whole day.”

“Only a couple of hours,” Graham corrected. “She was half ready when I got here about an hour ago.”

Henry still wasn’t impressed.

“She’s weird.”

“Heard that too!” Emma called back down. “I’ll only be a minute.”

“More like an hour,” Henry muttered before looking to Regina once more. “So you and Mom are going on a date?”

“Yes we are,” Regina nodded. “But it is casual.”

That was what Emma had asked her to say if Henry asked. It didn’t seem to satisfy the boy, who frowned and tilted his head just like Emma often did.

“Casual? How can a date be casual? Mom always says love is serious.”

“She’s true in the fact that you should never play with love, especially someone else’s heart,” Regina told him. “But your mother and I are going to go have fun because that’s important too.”

Henry seemed to accept that.

“Okay, I hope you have fun then.”

“Thank you, Henry,” Regina replied. “I hope you have a nice evening with Graham.”

“We always do,” Graham answered, ruffling Henry’s hair. “We’re gonna have a men’s night.”

“Yeah!” Henry put on a deep voice that made Regina laugh once more.

But the laughter died in her throat when she saw Emma descending the stairs.

She looked stunning, her hair even more curled than usual, framing that beautiful face perfectly. And the dress was just…wow. Regina didn’t have enough words in her vocabulary to full describe how good the other woman looked, nor the way she made her feel.

Once she reached the bottom of the stairs, Emma approached her.

“Hey,” she greeted her with a nervous smile.

“Hey,” Regina repeated and held out the bouquet. “This is for you.”

“Thank you, they’re beautiful,” Emma beamed as she took the flowers. “I’ll just put these in some water then we can go.”

“No, no,” Graham protested, taken the flowers from Emma. “I’ll do this, you two go have fun.”

Emma rolled her eyes but didn’t argue, just picked up her coat and looked to Regina.

“Shall we go?”

“Certainly,” Regina nodded, opening the door for the other woman. “After you.”

 

The restaurant was no grand banquet hall but it was the perfect setting for their date. Not only was it charming, but Regina had managed to book a booth out of the way, giving them the right amount of privacy while also having an evening out.

Emma seemed both happy and hungry as she chose the largest steak on the menu. Regina chose spaghetti but her date wasn’t happy with that.

“You eat spaghetti all the time. Why don’t you at least try the lasagne?”

“But what if I don’t like it?” Regina frowned.

“Did you like the Bolognese pasta bake I made last week?”

“I loved it.”

“Then you’ll like this,” Emma assured her.

Regina was sceptical but decided to trust the other woman and decided to order this strangely named dish.

They talked about this and that- how their days have been and the threads of conversation that came from that. By the time the food arrived, they’d begun to run out of things to talk about.

Luckily, the awkwardness was broken when Regina took the first taste of her lasagne.

“Oh my goodness,” Regina gasped as soon as the sensation met her taste buds. “This is amazing!”

“See, I told you,” Emma said while laughing. “You should always trust me when it comes to food.”

“I trust you with everything,” Regina replied as she cut into the lasagne once more. As she took another bite of the best dish she had ever had, she watched Emma’s smile grow before fading slightly.

“Regina,” she said with a sigh. “I have some stuff I need to tell you.”

Regina instantly set her cutlery down and made sure Emma had her full attention.

“Well I guess I should start at the beginning,” Emma said, her nerves shaking her voice. “I…I never knew my birth parents. They left me outside a fire station when I was a baby.”

“I’m sorry,” Regina found herself blurting out and instantly felt guilty for interrupting her date. Emma smiled though.

“Thanks, but it’s something I’ve learnt to live with,” she shrugged. “I was left outside of a fire station where they knew someone would find me so it’s not like they abandoned me on the side of the road. At least I know whoever left me there cared enough to make sure I was safe.”

Regina didn’t quite see it that way but didn’t voice her opinion. It wasn’t her place to have one.

“So I ended up being fostered by one of the firefighters, Chris. He was like a dad to me, you know. He’s the only family I’ve ever known except for Henry. Then when I was sixteen, he died doing his job.”

“I’m sorry,” Regina found herself saying again.

“Yeah, that really sucked,” Emma said quietly, looking down at her plate. “He left everything to me so I was of course stupid and sold everything to buy The Bug, second hand. I drove around, mostly hiding from child services, and got jobs as a waitress, never staying in one place too long. That was when I met Neal.”

Neal. Regina couldn’t help but feel a sting of jealousy at the way Emma said his name.

“We fell in love,” Emma continued. “We were young and stupid and thought we were void of consequences. Well actually I did, Neal knew exactly what he was doing. We lived a while in Tallahassee, got a little apartment and I had a full-time job. I thought he did too with the amount of money he was bring home. Turns out he was stealing, selling illegally obtained drugs, the whole shabbang. I didn’t even know what he was doing until the police came to my door asking questions. It was heart breaking.”

Regina moved a hand under the table and clenched it in a fist to contain her anger. Emma didn’t seem to notice and carried on talking.

“It was only after he went to prison and I broke up with him that I found out I was pregnant with Henry. I was going to go visit him and let him know, because you know Henry was created through love and he still had a right to know. I just ended up putting it off, partly because  was busy working, I didn’t really wanna see him, and I was having a difficult time getting to terms with the whole impending parenthood thing. It wasn’t till I got the call saying Neal had been killed by another inmate that I desperately wanted to tell him.”

Regina watched as Emma wiped a tear from her cheek.

“I’m sorry,” Regina said again and instantly kicked herself. Why could she say nothing else?

“Yeah well as low as that point got, it all got better when Henry was born,” Emma said with a light frown. “I did consider giving him up for adoption but then I remembered how lucky I had been with Chris and didn’t want Henry to be one of the unlucky kids. I’d been conflicted but as soon as I saw him, I knew he was meant to be with me. He’s also the reason why I got into law enforcement. Though I know Neal would have stepped up if he’d had the opportunity, I wanted my son to grow up knowing right and wrong. Ridiculously I thought I could cancel out Neal’s crimes by me fighting for law and order. Still despite all the sucky stuff that’s happened to me, they lead to my life now and if I could go back, I wouldn’t change a thing. Well, maybe a few hairstyles. The 00’s was a weird time for fashion.”

Regina laughed even though she didn’t get the joke.

“I for one very much like the woman you are now.”

Emma smiled brightly before looking around the restaurant, as though she was checking in case anyone was listening. Then she leaned forward a little, and Regina copied her.

“The reason why I’m telling you this,” she spoke in a quiet tone. “Is because Neal is the only person I have… _been with._ ”

Regina frowned, confused for a moment before realisation hit her.

“Oh.”

“Yeah,” Emma shrugged, blushing with embarrassment. “Lame I know but I’ve never felt comfortable with anyone since. Neal kind of messed that up for me. I tried to force myself to get out there again but you know how that went.”

Though Regina could tell Emma was embarrassed by this but she was glad Killian Jones had not been the one she chose. A man like that would never understand. Regina did, absolutely and completely.

“I guess the reason why I’m telling you is I want it all out on the table,” Emma spoke up again. “I really like you, Regina. And although I’m not ready yet, you’re the one I want to try with. And if that’s not something you’re up to or the fact I’ve never been with a woman is an issue for you then I understand.”

“No, no,” Regina shook her head, reaching across the table and placing her hand over Emma’s. “It doesn’t bother me at all, it never would. The fact that you think I’m at all worthy of this gift is the biggest honour anyone has ever given me. You have nothing to be embarrassed about, I assure you.”

Emma’s blush deepened but this time she smiled.

“Thanks, that really means a lot. I hope you don’t mind me asking but have you ever been with a woman?”

“I have,” Regina replied, frowning at the memory. “But only once and I don’t think…it was a complicated situation and experience.”

Emma looked intrigued but thankfully she didn’t ask for details. However, since her date had poured her life out to her, Regina wanted to give something in return. Just not the stuff that would make her sound crazy.

“I’ve only been with two people. My first love, Daniel, was my everything and even though it was foolish, I gave myself fully to him.”

“Why foolish?” Emma asked. “If you loved him and he loved you, why not?”

Regina loved how simply Emma thought.

“I was raised…traditionally,” Regina explained. “I was meant to save myself till marriage and Daniel wasn’t what my mother would deem ‘worthy’ of my hand. So I just saw him behind her back. It was meant to be innocent but then one thing lead to another…”

“Wooow,” Emma teased. “Total bad girl. What happened to this Daniel then? You two run off into the sunset?”

“No,” Regina replied regretfully. “He died.”

“Oh shit, Regina I’m sorry.”

“I’ve learnt to deal with it,” Regina half lied. She was learning but that didn’t make up for how far her grief had made her fall.

“What happened after that?” Emma asked and Regina couldn’t help but laugh at the awful memory.

“My mother forced me to marry a man who was old enough to be my grandfather.”

“Wait, WHAT?” Emma all but shrieked, causing a lot of fellow diners to look their way. “Sorry, but what the fuck?”

“He was high in society and my mother saw it as a good opportunity for our family. He wanted a mother for his daughter and that was me, though I was not very good in the role.”

“I doubt that,” Emma replied. “You’re great with Henry.”

“Loving Henry is the easiest thing in the world,” Regina told her. “His daughter… our relationship was forced and we were raised very differently. She was overly coddled and spoilt and was every entitled, all things I wasn’t. Maybe I did handle the situation poorly but I was a child myself and I ended up becoming very bitter.”

“Hey, don’t blame yourself,” Emma told her sternly. “That situation is messed up and that guy must have been a right creep.”

“He wasn’t the most attractive of men,” Regina grimaced. “Luckily I didn’t have to go through with my _wifely duties.”_

“Oh thank god,” Emma said, her shoulders noticeably relaxing. “You didn’t have to sleep with him then?”

“Thankfully not. He tried on our wedding night but he had performance issues and I think it hurt his pride. He never came to me again.”

Emma laughed at that.

“Serves him right, the old pervert.”

Regina laughed to. It was nice to have someone who saw the situation the way she saw it. Most people in the Enchanted Forest would have called her ungrateful.

“So what happened? You divorced him I hope?”

Ah divorce. One of the many things Regina wished existed back in her world.

“No, he died.”

“Good,” Emma responded. “If he was still alive I’d have killed him myself. I mean, who the hell does that? And your mom, what a bitch! No offense.”

“Not taken,” Regina assured her. “I feel the same way. After that, his daughter and I ended up in a bitter feud. She’s the reason I came here. There needed to be space between us. Anyway, while I was still married to the king, I met Mal. She was older than me and at that point I was still very young. We had a strange relationship and that lead to an intense and complicated night of passion. Though I’d never say it was anywhere near as intimate as my times with Daniel, it was certainly mind-blowing.”

“Wow, lucky you,” Emma laughed before frowning slightly. “Wait, so you remember all this? Have you always?”

Shit, Regina totally forgot about the amnesia thing. It wasn’t even her who created the lie but she found herself stuck in its constraints.

“I’ve been remembering little things over time,” she found herself lying at hated herself for it. “I can’t remember everything but enough to put these dots together.”

Emma nodded in understanding.

“Oh okay. You should have said something. Reliving some of those memories can’t have been easy.”

“I’m dealing with it,” Regina shrugged. “Though I much prefer the memories I’m making here with you and Henry.”

Emma smiled again at that.

“I like making them too.”

The pair then carried on with their meal, entering into much lighter conversation. Everything seemed to be going well, truths told and walls brought down.

Then Emma’s phone rang and the night took a much different turn.


	12. White Flag

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone. Please check the change in tag before reading this chapter. If any of you don't feel up to it feel free to skip to the next chapter and I'll make sure everything still makes sense for you. Thank you all for the amazing support on this story, it really means a lot. Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks.  
> Well here we go....

“Answer it.”

“No,” Emma replied cutting off another piece of steak. “It’ll be something to do with work and tonight is my night off. They should ring the station if they are in that much trouble.”

“Emma,” Regina sighed before taking another sip of her water. Though Emma had ordered a beer, Regina stuck to a non-alcoholic option. “You don’t mean that.”

“I do mean it,” Emma replied, unless there is a shoot-out on Mainstreet or something, it’s not my problem tonight. They have me the rest of the time, they can give me tonight.”

Regina shook her head and looked down at her empty plate. She knew she had shovelled her meal down in an unladylike manner but she didn’t care. Lasagne was too good!

“Well at least check it’s not Graham,” she tried again. “It could be an emergency.”

“It won’t be an emergency.”

_“Emma.”_

“Alright, alright,” Emma huffed before reaching round and pulling her phone out of her coat pocket. Regina watched the other woman closely and noticed a flash of worry cross Emma’s face when she saw the caller ID. She wasted no more time in answering the call.

“Graham?”

Regina’s heart plummeted. Had something happened to Henry? Was he okay? The thought of anything happening to the boy made her feel sick.

She watched closely as Emma listened to Graham and relaxed slightly when she saw her dates expression turn from worry to anger.

“Oh you have to be kidding me?”

Regina’s worry was quickly replaced with concern.

Emma listened to Graham once more before letting out a deep sigh.

“Alright, I’ll be ten minutes.”

Emma put down her phone and got out her wallet.

“What’s wrong?” Regina asked when she said nothing.

“Killian fucking Jones,” Emma growled and Regina instantly felt her anger beginning to build.

“What has that imbecile done now?”

Emma caught one of the servers and made a movement with her hand before looking to Regina again.

“Some asshole told him we were going on a date and now he’s in the street outside of my apartment drunk and making a scene.”

“Well who would know besides you, me, Graham, and Henry?” Regina frowned and a guilty expression appeared on Emma’s face.

“Yeah, I may have told some people.”

“You did? How many?”

“Only a few…dozen. Look I was excited, okay.”

Regina rolled her eyes, not knowing whether to find it adorable or completely idiotic.

“Well we best get going then,” Regina said, slipping on her coat. “He’ll be upsetting Henry.”

“Yeah, Graham has made him go up to his room but I think he knows what’s going on,” Emma sighed as she put her coat on also. “Just let me pay the bill and we can go sort this out.”

“Oh no,” Regina protested, getting out her purse. “I’m paying.”

“No, I insist.”

“I was the one who asked.”

“And I’m the one who has cut this short.”

“Henry is both our responsibility.”

“He is?” Emma asked in surprise.

“Yes,” Regina nodded. “I mean, he’s your son but he means a great deal to me.”

Emma smiled at that.

“Okay, half and half?”

Regina agreed to that and once the bill came they slapped down an equal amount each before rushing off, leaving a more than generous tip.

The restaurant wasn’t too far from Emma’s apartment and they didn’t have to walk too far before they began hearing the shouting. When they made it to Emma’s home, they discovered Graham had not been exaggerating.

Sure enough, Killian Jones was stood in the street shouting up to the loft, a bottle of rum in his hand.

“Come on, Madam Mayor! Come out here and face me.”

Regina rolled her eyes.

“I’m right here, Mr Jones.”

 _“Regina,”_ Emma hissed, worry in her voice. “Don’t wind him up.”

Killian stumbled as he turned round, clearly very intoxicated. As soon as he saw Emma, he smiled.

“Emma!” he slurred, holding his arms open. “Come here, love. Give your man a kiss.”

Regina looked to Emma, expecting a sassy comeback but she said nothing and completely tensed. She had often wondered why Emma never stood up to Killian but now after finding out her past, she now knew intimacy was an issue for her. The fact Killian Jones was so crude towards her must really upset her and the thought of that made Regina hate him even more.

“She’s not giving you anything,” Regina snapped at him. “Emma is not interested in you and you are making a fool out of yourself as well as terrifying an innocent child. Now please got back to whatever cesspit you emerged from and leave us alone.”

“This has nothing to do with you, freak,” Killian spat back. “I bet Emma would be begging me to take get her far away from you if she knew what you did to me.”

Fear hit her like a dagger to the heart while Emma frowned.

“What do you mean?”

Killian smirked spitefully Regina before looking to Emma.

“You’re little roommate is a witch.”

Regina instantly tensed while Emma burst out laughing.

“I’m sorry, did you just say she’s a witch? You’ve really had too much this time. I think you need to go sleep it off.”

“It’s true,” Killian said defensively. “We were in the grocery store and she used her powers to throw me across the room.”

“She did, did she?” Emma questioned, clearly amused by the situation. “What do you say, Regina? Are you a witch?”

She didn’t want to lie to Emma; it hurt her every time she did. But she kept finding she had little choice.  In her mind anyway.

“He was drunk,” Regina replied. “He confronted me and I shoved him back to get him out of my face. He stumbled over his own feet and fell over. Clearly Mr Jones’s brain is getting pickled by all that alcohol.”

“That’s a lie!” Killian roared. “Yes, I was drunk but I know what happened. She’s a witch, a freak.”

“Enough, Mr Jones,” Regina sighed. “Now go home before I make you.”

The drunk man scoffed at that.

“What you gonna do? Put a curse on me? Fucking witch dyke bitch.”

With that, Emma shot forward and punched him the face.

To no surprise he fell to the floor, clutching his face. Emma stood over him, fist still clenched.

“Don’t you _dare_ speak to her like that!”

Killian let out a noise that sounded like a growl before pulling himself to his feet. He glared at Emma before swinging his fist towards her. Regina moved quick and stood in front of Emma, taking the hit herself.

Though his aim was sloppy, boy did it hurt. The only reason she managed to stay on her feet was Emma catching her when she stumbled back.

Killian moved forward to get another hit in when Graham appeared out of nowhere and tackled him to the ground.

The two women watched as Graham pinned him to the ground.

“Killian, that’s enough.”

Killian managed to get his arm free and punched Graham in the face, blind-siding the deputy long enough to push him off.

Getting up again, Killian stormed towards them and Regina felt Emma’s arms tighten around her protectively. But before he could hurt either of them, Graham managed to tackle him to the ground.

The pair rolled around on the ground, Graham trying to restrain Killian who was struggling desperately to get out of the other man’s hold.

Then there was a stained cry and Graham’s body stiffened. Regina’s heart began beating even faster.

Something wasn’t right.

Killian either didn’t notice or didn’t care, pushing Graham off him before straddling his chest and punching him in the face. All the while, Graham’s breathing was strained and Regina noticed, his hands move to clutch his chest.

Emma must have noticed that too as she instantly ran over.

“Killian, get off him!” she cried but Killian just kept pushing her back before punching Graham again and again.

Emma managed to grab Killian’s jacket and tried pulling him off but the man pushed her off roughly, making her fall back and hit the concrete face first.

Regina took advantage of that moment and used her magic to whoosh Killian off Graham.

Emma, luckily not seeing what just happened, moved quickly to Graham.

“Graham, what’s wrong? Graham, answer me. Graham!”

Regina looked across to Killian, who sat on the ground watching the pair with wide eyes. Keeping watch of him out of the corner of her eye, she made her way over to join Emma at Graham’s side.

Graham was clutching his chest as he breathed frantically, teeth gritted and face red. His whole body was tensed so much that Regina could practically see the veins coming out of his neck.

“What did you do?!” Regina demanded, shooting Killian a deadly stare.

“I-I didn’t do anything,” Killian held his hands up defensively. “It was only a scrap.”

Regina was so tempted to go over there and beat the man to a pulp but a cry from Emma stopped any other thoughts.

Looking down, she saw Graham’s eyes had rolled back as his breaths sounded more like strained squeaks.

Then the noises stopped and his body went limp.

“Graham?” Emma gasped, shaking his lifeless body. “Graham, Graham, Graham, Graham, Graham.”

All Regina could do was watched as Emma pulled Graham’s body into her arms and buried her face in his chest, sobbing without any restraint.

Regina moved to put a hand on Emma’s shoulder but before she could touch the red leather, she heard a scuffle and instantly looked up.

Killian Jones had jumped to his feet and begun to run away, leaving his bottle of rum behind.

Rage burned inside Regina like a furnace and made a move to go after him. Yet before she could make more than five strides, she heard a door open behind her.

“Mom?”

Regina instantly stopped and turned round to see Henry, dressed in his _Star Wars_ pyjamas as he looked at the scene before him.

Emma hadn’t seemed to notice him as she clung onto Graham’s body for dear life. People had begun to appear, a small crowd gathering around them.

 _Where were you all moments ago?_ Regina thought bitterly.

“Regina?” Henry squeaked, breaking her out of her thoughts. She looked back to him and noticed tears forming in his little green eyes. “What’s going on?”

Instinct instantly kicked in and she moved over to shield him from the sight. She looked down and opened her mouth to say something but her vocabulary instantly failed her as soon as she looked into his eyes.

So instead she pulled the boy against her, wrapping her arms around him protectively. Henry instantly mirrored her actions, clutching onto her coat.

Regina closed her eyes and tried to block out the sound of Emma’s cries.

The night had meant to be perfect, yet now it had turned into a nightmare.


	13. Stay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, thanks for all the great comments and kudos! As some of you advised I've taken the death warning off the fic. Again, i own nothing and my grammar sucks. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

When Regina woke up the next morning, it took her a moment to recognise her surroundings and to remember how she got there.

After that first moment of confusion she realised she was in the master bedroom of 108 Mifflin Street. Henry and Emma were in the guest rooms down the hall.

They’d come here last night, after they’d taken Graham’s body away. Emma hadn’t stopped crying and Henry kept saying he didn’t want to stay there so Regina drove them in the bug to her house, not really knowing what else to do.

She noticed the clock on her bedside table and saw it was passed 10. Pushing the hair out of her face, she sighed. She really didn’t want to get up.

As terrible as it sounds, Regina didn’t lose a lot of sleep over tragedies. She never had. The mornings were the worst though. The morning after Daniel died, she threw up when she remembered what happened.

The memory of the night before didn’t make her ill or cry. She hadn’t known Graham that well after all. There was still sadness though, sadness for Graham and sadness for Emma and Henry.

Getting out of bed, she moved over to the overnight bag she had speedily packed the night before. Changing out of her pyjamas and into her day clothes, she went through the rest of her morning routine. She took her time, savouring every moment she could before walking out of her bedroom and back into reality.

Heading down the stairs, she could hear what sounded like the TV. Walking into the living room, she found Henry sat on the floor in front of the TV in his Pyjamas, eating out of a cereal box.

“Henry?”

The boy looked over his shoulder for a moment before looking back to the TV.

“Hi Regina,” he said in a sleepy voice.

Regina moved over and sat down next to him.

“Where did you get those?” she asked, nodding to the cereal.

“Mom got me them,” he replied before holding the box up to her. Regina took a handful.

“Where is your mother?”

Henry shrugged his little shoulders.

“She didn’t say. Just told me to tell you she’ll be back later.”

“Great,” Regina sighed. “Do you want me to make you some proper food?”

She wasn’t as skilled as Emma but she could make a sandwich at least.

“We haven’t got anything,” Henry answered without looking away from the screen. “And I don’t wanna go out.”

Regina sighed and got to her feet, heading through to the kitchen.

Henry was right- there was no food. She had all the equipment, more pots and pans as the castle kitchens. But no food so it was all useless.

Regina sighed again and leaned against the fridge, wondering what she was going to do. She scanned the room for inspiration when she noticed a single solitary cook book leaning against the microwave. Emma had a few cook books in her kitchen but she told Regina she didn’t use them.

 _“They’re cheating,”_ Emma had said. _“Cooking is all about experimentation._ ”

Although Regina trusted Emma was right, she had no idea how to make anything that didn’t involve bread and pre-sliced cheese. So she decided to just go for it.

Skimming the pages, she’d noticed that almost all the recipes had corrections made in what looked like biro pen. Regina didn’t like biros much and found them difficult to write with but this person had no such problem, even the small notes written in excellent handwriting. They had made corrections to the measurements and added other ingredients and instructions.

She continued to look through until she found a dish that caught her attention.

“Lasagne!”

Henry ran through.

“You found lasagne?” he asked hopefully and Regina instantly felt bad.

“Oh no, I just found the recipe,” Regina replied, showing the page to the boy.

Instead of being disappointed, Henry started jumping up and down.

“We should make one!”

Regina looked over the page again. The recipe alone was complicated, let alone the added instructions.

“I don’t know…”

“Pleeeeeaaase.”

Regina looked down into his big sad eyes and instantly gave in.

“Okay fine, but we’ll have to go to the store.”

She’d thought after Henry said he didn’t want to go out that he’d be reluctant to go but instead ran straight upstairs to get changed.

Regina sighed, looking down at the page.

“Guess we’re making lasagne.”

 

The trip to the store was actually quite enjoyable. She’d been worried Henry would be overwhelmed but he was fine, especially after she bought him a load of candy and some comics.

Still, they got all the ingredients, following the notes to Henry insistence. When they returned home with the groceries, she made some sandwiches for lunch and watched the Star Wars boxset Henry had brought with him the night before.

Once they’d watched _A New Hope_ and _The Empire Strikes Back_ , they went on to make the lasagne.

In the end, it was a mess and when they did the taste test, it was pretty terrible. Regina wasn’t happy, they’d followed the recipe precisely, how could be wrong?

Henry rang for pizza and so they ended up sat at the dinner table with two pizza boxes between them.

“I think we have too much,” Regina said, looking at the large quantity of food left as she ate what she knew would be her last slice.

“Mom says you’re meant to have leftover pizza,” Henry replied. “So you can have more later. Anyway, Mom will need some for when she gets in and she eats a lot.”

Regina looked at her watch. It was nearing eight and Emma hadn’t even called. She was starting to get worried but tried her best to mask it, not wanting Henry to worry too.

“Yes, I’m sure she’d like that,” Regina nodded with a smile.

“Regina?”

“Yes Henry?”

“You’re staying, aren’t you?”

Regina frowned at that.

“What do you mean?”

Henry put down the pizza crust he’d been nibbling on and looked her straight in the eye with a serious expression.

“You’re staying with us. You’re not moving in here now.”

Regina didn’t know how to answer that, so she decided to go with honesty.

“This is my house and I can’t live off your mother forever. That’s not fair on her.”

“But we need you,” Henry protested. “Graham’s dead and Mom is gonna be super sad. I’m super sad too but I’m the man of the house. I’m meant to be strong but I don’t feel strong right now. You can be the strong one, use your superpowers to keep us safe from the bad guy.”

Bad guy, Killian Jones. Anger rose up in her once more but she kept it under control.

“I haven’t got superpowers, Henry,” Regina told him, which was only a half lie. “But you and your mother are welcome to stay here for as long as you want and if you both want me to come back home with you, I’d do so without hesitation. You’ve been good to me, kinder than anyone ever has. I’ll be forever in your debt.”

Henry scrunched his nose up at that.

“You’re not in debt. We kept you because we love you. You’re family now.”

“I am?” Regina didn’t know whether Henry was just overemotional after what happened with Graham but the words filled her with joy.

“Yeah,” Henry nodded. “You, Mom, and Graham are my family. Now I guess it’s just you and Mom.”

“No, Henry, no,” Regina instantly protested. “Graham is still your family even though he isn’t with us anymore.”

“Really?” Henry asked hopefully and Regina nodded.

“Of course, like my father is still my family. He will always be with me.” She placed a hand over her heart. “Right here.”

Henry put a hand over his own heart.

“Graham is here?”

“Yes,” Regina nodded. “In your heart.”

Henry nodded in understanding.

“My dad is dead too.”

“I know,” Regina nodded. “I’m sorry.”

Henry just shrugged.

“I didn’t know him. I don’t think he counts as my family.”

Regina didn’t really know how to reply to that but gave it her best shot, trying not to step over any boundaries.

“That’s entirely up to you.”

Henry nodded again.

“I’m sorry about your dad too.”

“Thank you, Henry,” Regina gave him a small smile. “So am I.”

Henry got out of his chair and walked round to her side of the table. He wrapped his arms around Regina and enveloped her in a tight hug.

For a moment, Regina was surprised but quickly hugged him back.

“I love you, Regina,” Henry mumbled. “Please don’t leave.”

“I love you too, Henry,” Regina replied. “I’m not going anywhere.”

 

It was almost midnight and Regina was officially worried. Emma’s phone was off and no one was picking up at the sheriff’s station. If it wasn’t for the fact that Henry was asleep down the hall, she’d be out there hunting the sheriff down and dragging her back home.

Then, at two minutes to midnight, she heard a loud knocking on the door downstairs. Climbing out of bed, Regina stormed downstairs and marched to the front door, opening it to reveal Emma Swan.

“Where the hell have you been?” Regina hissed, trying to keep her voice down as to not wake Henry.

Emma said nothing, just stepped inside and closed the door behind her.

She walked passed Regina and walked up the stairs.

Regina followed her, expecting her to go to the room she had occupied last night. But instead, Emma headed straight to her room.

“Emma, what is going on?” Regina whispered as she watched Emma sit down on her bed.

“Close the door,” Emma said and when Regina did, she patted the spot next to her. “Come sit.”

Slightly suspicious, Regina moved slowly across and sat down next to her.

“Emma wha…”

Before Regina could finish, she was silenced by Emma’s lips against hers. It was a good kiss, boy was it a good kiss. But it wasn’t right and she quickly pulled away.

“No Emma,” she said and when the blonde leaned in again, she pushed her back. “Emma stop.”

“What’s wrong?” Emma frowned. “I thought you were into me.”

“I am, I so am,” Regina insisted. “But this isn’t right.”

“It’s the only thing that’s right,” Emma protested. “I need this, Regina. I need you.”

“No, Emma. You’re not in the right place of mind and if we do anything now you’ll only end up regretting it later.”

“I don’t care,” Emma replied, leaning in to kiss her again but Regina pushed her back again.

“I said no, Emma. This is a definitive no.”

Emma sighed before getting up and kicking the wall.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that, any of that.”

“No, you shouldn’t have,” Regina agreed. “But you need to calm down and talk to me.”

“I can’t,” Emma groaned and began pacing in front of her. “My head feels like it’s going to explode. All day I was looking for that piece of shit but he’s probably skipped down. Fucking coward. Then I get a call from the morgue. They did an autopsy on Graham and turns out he had an underlining heart problem. He was the heathiest person I knew. He used to hike for days, chase criminals across town. Then one fight and bam, heart attack.”

“I’m sorry, Emma,” Regina said but Emma either didn’t hear her or ignored her.

“So now all that piece of shit is gonna get is assault, manslaughter at best. He murdered Graham, I don’t care what anyone says. If he hadn’t been a piece of shit, Graham would be here right now.”

“Emma, you don’t know that,” Regina sighed. “Hearts are delicate, it could have happened any time.”

Emma seemed to hear her that time.

“I do know that, Regina. It’s his fault and it’s my fault too.”

“Emma,” Regina said strongly, “sit down.”

Emma did as she was told.

“Good,” the mayor gave her a small smile and took the sheriff’s hands in hers. “Now explain what you meant by this being your fault.”

A stray tear rolled down Emma’s cheek that she quickly wiped away, followed by a small sniff.

“I let that man into my life just because I wanted to get laid and now Graham is dead,” she explained as more tears began to fall. “I knew he was bad, I knew it from the get go but I kept letting him back in. Now look what’s happened!”

“You could never have seen this happening,” Regina told her but Emma just shook her head.

“I should have just waited. I should have just waited for you. We’d all be happy.”

“Emma, stop it,” Regina snapped, getting the other woman to finally be quiet. “You are in no way to blame for this. You are not responsible for Killian Jones’s actions, even if they were done in your name. His actions are his responsibility and they are his weight to bare. You shouldn’t feel at all guilty for this.”

Emma sniffled again before nodding.

“Okay, I’ll try but I can’t make any promises.”

“I know,” Regina nodded. “Are you hungry? There’s pizza downstairs.”

“No, I just wanna sleep,” Emma replied and Regina nodded again.

“Of course, you must be tired.”

She expected Emma to get up and leave but she stayed, looking round the room awkwardly.

“Can I stay in here?” she asked hopefully. “I don’t want to be alone.”

“Of course,” Regina replied, getting up and pulling back the duvet. “There’s enough room for two.”

Emma quickly took of her jacket before kicking off her boots and jeans, leaving her in a shirt and underwear.

Regina got into her side of the bed, giving the other woman enough space. Emma, however, scooted right up to her snuggled into her side.

“Is this okay?” Emma asked and Regina smiled, wrapping an arm around her.

“It’s perfectly okay.”


	14. The Chain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all your great comments and kudos! Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

When Regina woke up the next morning, she was alone. At first she wasn’t at all bothered by it but then she remembered that she’d been snuggled up to a certain blonde before she went to sleep, one that was now not there.

She darted out of bed and rushed downstairs, her mind instantly going to the worst possibilities.

 _Please Emma_ , she thought. _Please not have done anything stupid._

When she walked into the living room, she let out a deep sigh of relief.

Emma and Henry were sat on the couch watching TV and eating pizza.

Regina looked to the clock and rolled her eyes.

“You can’t eat pizza at this time.”

“Good morning to you too,” Emma laughed. “And left over pizza classes as breakfast. Ask anyone.”

Regina frowned. She’d learnt that certain foods were appropriate for different meals, same as they had been in the Enchanted Forest.

Pizza was okay for dinner, maybe lunch, but it wasn’t breakfast food.

“There’s still pizza left, Regina,” Henry pipped up. “Come join us.”

“Yeah, come join us,” Emma winked before patting the place next to her.

Regina shook her head.

“I’m not eating pizza at nine o’clock in the morning. I will, however, get some cereal.”

“Okay, spoil sport,” Emma teased and Regina rolled her eyes.

The mayor walked through to the kitchen and the sheriff followed her.

“Sorry I didn’t wake you up,” Emma spoke up as Regina got out a bowl from the cupboard. “Henry got up and you looked so peaceful I didn’t want to disturb you.”

“It’s okay,” Regina replied as she placed the bowl on the counter before getting out the cereal. She placed the box next to the bowl before turning to face Emma. “How are you feeling today?”

“A little better,” Emma replied.

“Henry?”

“Better than me.”

Regina nodded and turned back around. She was carefully pouring out the cereal when Emma spoke up again.

“I’m sorry.”

Regina frowned and turned to face her again.

“What for?”

“For kissing you.”

“You apologised last night.”

“No,” Emma shook her head. “I’m apologising for ruining our first kiss.”

Regina sighed and put the cereal box down. Walking over to Emma, she took the other woman’s hands in hers.

“That doesn’t count as our first kiss. None of us were in the right space of mind and it wasn’t the right kiss, not even close. When we have our first real kiss, it’ll be when we are both ready, really ready. It’s going to be the beginning of something great and it’s going to be…magical.”

Emma smiled and Regina returned it.

“So we’re on pause?”

“Yes,” Regina nodded. “Until you’re ready. Right now you need to grieve and need to heel.”

“So do you,” Emma replied, nodding to Regina’s eye. “Got quite the shiner there.”

Regina reached up and touched the bruised skin with a wince. She’s tried to heal it but it hadn’t worked so decided on using a glamour. It must have worn off.

“I should cover it,” Regina said but Emma shook her head.

“No, just let it breathe. It’s only us here and we know what happened. Anyway, you’re still beautiful.”

“I am?”

“Yep, like stunningly beautiful. The hottest, most gorgeous person I have ever seen.

Regina blushed before moving away to finish making her cereal.

“Hey,” Emma spoke up again. “Can I ask you a favour?”

“Of course,” Regina answered as she got the milk out of the fridge.

“Can you go to the loft and get us a few things? Henry wants his stuff and I…I don’t think I can go back there, not right now.”

“Of course, no problem,” Regina assured her, pouring the milk before putting it back in the fridge. “I’ll head down there once I’ve gotten ready

“Thanks,” Emma replied, opening to cutlery draw and getting out a spoon. “I’ll make a list of things. If there’s any problem just ring me.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Regina smiled, taking the spoon Emma held out to her.

Emma got herself another slice of cold pizza before they both headed through to re-join Henry.

 

Regina didn’t loiter when she walked up to the door leading up to the loft. Emma had trusted her with a task and she wasn’t going to fail. So she pushed all her feelings to the back of her mind and headed in and up the stairs. She unlocked the front door with the keys Emma had given her and walked into the place that a few days ago she called home.

Though nothing had changed physically within the loft, it didn’t feel the same. The thing that made it feel like home to her was no longer there. In her mind now, home was back at the mansion with Emma and Henry. If someone told her a few days ago that she’d quickly consider the strange house home, she’d have laughed in their face. Now she was desperate to get back there.

She pushed all those thoughts to the back of her mind and went to packing. Getting the suitcases out from the closet as Emma instructed, she went to packing. Emma wanted all the stuff out of her draws and wardrobe and told her to do the same with Henry.

She did Henry’s stuff first, using an enchantment to make it all fit in the suitcase. As promised, she got all Henry’s comics and Harry Potter books, packing that in also. With Henry’s stuff complete, she moved on to Emma’s.

Emma had an unnecessary amount of clothes and by that she meant an unnecessary amount of the _same_ clothes.  Leather jackets, jeans, and baggy shirts. That was pretty much it. Sure she had a couple of dresses and formal clothes but the ratio was ridiculous.

Still she packed it all up before heading down and getting the toiletries from the bathroom. Once that was all done, she checked the fridge. Something had definitely gone off so Regina just magiced it all away.

She looked down at the list again.

_Bring the cardboard box out from under your bed._

Regina frowned, she hadn’t noticed a cardboard box. Making her way over, she crouched down and pulled out the box that had been pushed way back by her own invading suitcases. Though she was intrigued, she didn’t open it. She had a feeling this was something important and she didn’t want to violate Emma’s privacy and trust like that. If Emma wanted her to see what was inside, she’d show her.

With all those tasks done, it was time to deal with her stuff. With a click of her fingers, her suitcases slid out from under her bed and all the stray clothes flew back into them before the zip sealed them up. An accomplished smile on her lips, she clicked her fingers again and all the stuff was instantly transported to her car.

She was about to leave, eager to head back to Emma and Henry, when she remembered she’d forgotten something and a wave of guilt washed over her. Moving back over to her bed, she reached under her pillow and pulled out Daniel’s ring.

She held it in her palm and placed a small kiss on the metal hoop.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered to it. “A lot has been happening here.”

She put the chain around her neck and smiled again. It was finally time to go home.

“I always thought it looked great on you,” a familiar voice made her flinch.

Jumping up on the defensive, she glared at the Mystery Man she had met by the well.

“Are you crazy? This is breaking and entering.”

“The door was open,” the man replied, pointing to said door. Regina rolled her eyes.

“Trespassing then,” the man shrugged before changing the subject. “How are you? I’m sorry about Graham. I know this was a tough time for you all.”

“Wait, you knew that was going to happen?” Regina questioned before the anger rose up inside her. “Why didn’t you warn me?!”

“I couldn’t,” the man replied. “The rules are I can’t tell you anything and I can’t help you beyond what I’ve been instructed.”

“Who made these rules?” Regina demanded and when the man didn’t reply, she rose her voice even louder. “WHO?!”

“You,” the man relented. “It was you.”

Regina faltered for a moment before she frowned deeply.

“How is that even possible?”

“It’s complicated,” he replied. “And again, I can’t really tell you.”

Regina growled in frustration.

“Why can’t you tell me?! Why dangle this information in front of me then refuse to give me it?!”

The man did look guilty but still shook his head.

“I’m doing what you asked. You’ll understand soon enough.”

Regina shook her head in disbelief.

“You know what? I don’t even want to know. You gave me Daniel’s ring and I’m not stupid, I know this means I’ll go back to the Enchanted Forest. But I’ll tell you now, there is no way in HELL I will ever go back there. Forget this plan of yours. I’m sick of being someone’s puppet and I’m tired of having my happy endings taken away from me. I’m staying here with Emma and Henry and if you even try meddle with that, I’ll burn you to ash.”

Before the man could even reply, Regina transported herself to her car, not caring if anyone saw her. She slammed her fists against the steering wheel. Why couldn’t she have at least one normal day?


	15. Fix You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for the great comments and kudos! Here's the next chapter and its pretty much emotional fluff :P Anyway, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

It took Emma all of five minutes to ask about the ring. They had been bringing all the stuff in from the car and Regina had noticed how Emma had been eyeing up the new piece of jewellery. When they’d brought everything in, Emma instantly spoke up.

“So, what’s with the ring?”

Regina’s hand instinctively touched it.

“It belonged to Daniel, well he made it for me but I always think of it as his,” she replied honestly before lying. “I found it under my bed. I didn’t remember it until I saw it.”

“Oh,” Emma replied, a troubled look on her face. “I never noticed it.”

“I must have packed it away,” Regina said with a shrug before honesty returned. “I don’t really feel comfortable wearing it.”

It was sad but it was true. She wanted to keep it close but holding it around her heart no longer felt right. Maybe it was because she now realised how she’d twisted his name to ratify her own need for revenge. Maybe it was something else. What she did know was that it didn’t feel right and so she took it off.

Emma watched her actions and once she was done, the sheriff picked up the mysterious cardboard box.

“Follow me,” Emma told her and Regina did, following the other woman through to the living room. Henry was in there watching cartoons but looking incredibly bored.

“Kid, Regina brought all your comics and stuff. Why don’t you go take them up to your room?”

Henry’s face instantly lit up. Jumping off the couch, he ran out the room, saying a quick ‘thanks Regina’ as he went.

Emma rolled her eyes as she sat down on the couch with the box on her knee, turning off the TV with a sigh.

“I should be glad he prefers books to TV but boy, are they expensive. I used to take him to the library but it has gone seriously downhill.”

Regina mentally noted that.

“He’s a good boy.”

“Yeah, he is,” Emma nodded before putting the space next to her. “Come sit.”

Regina sat down next to Emma while she continuously rolled Daniel’s ring on her palm.

Emma gave her a reassuring smile before opening up the box.

“I call this my memory box. It’s got the stuff in it that I don’t want to get rid of but I don’t want to see every day.”

Regina was intrigued by the idea but when Emma reached inside, she quickly put a hand on her arm.

“You don’t have to show me.”

“No,” Emma replied. “I want to. I need to keep it out anyway. Graham’s landlord is dropping his stuff here some da next week.”

“Oh,” Regina responded. “I’m sorry.”

“No problem, it has to be done,” Emma shrugged it off but Regina could tell it did bother her. Still, she watched as Emma continued to reach in the box and pull out a white knitted blanket.

“This is my baby blanket,” she told her. “See, it says my name.”

Regina looked and indeed ‘Emma’ had been woven into a patch sown into the corner. It was very beautiful, fit for a little princess. The thought of a baby Emma being left in the cold, however, made her feel very uncomfortable.

“It’s lovely,” She said, not really knowing what else to say.

“Yeah, I was abandoned but I was abandoned in style,” Emma joked but Regina knew she wasn’t as over it as she let on, not that anyone could blame her.

Putting it back, Emma pulled out a dreamcatcher.

“Neal and I found this in a motel room we stayed in and we kept it as a kind of good luck charm. It’s stupid but I couldn’t get rid of it.”

“It’s not stupid,” Regina assured her. “If it means a lot to you, it means a lot to you.”

Emma nodded before putting it back, before pulling out what looked like a piece of metal. Looking closer, Regina realised it was a badge.

“This was my foster dad Chris’s fireman’s badge. His boss gave it to me at his funeral. I always wanted to frame it but I never got round to it so it lives in here.”

Emma moved to put it back but Regina stopped her.

“Give it here.”

Emma frowned but did so and handed it over. Holding the badge like a precious diamond, Regina got up and moved over to the fireplace. It was empty, void of anything personal. She hoped one day it would be covered in family pictures and happy memories so this was a good place to start.

Balancing the badge against the wall, Regina discretely cast a spell to keep it in place. Stepping aside, she let Emma see her handiwork.

“What do you think?”

“Perfect,” Emma grinned before reaching into the box once more. “Now that was the last physical thing in here. The rest are photographs. I’ll show you some, most of them are similar.”

Regina moved and sat back down next to Emma. She took the picture handed out to her and studied it closely.

It was an aged photograph taken on what looked like stone steps. A muscular man sat with his arm around a little girl, her long blonde hair covering most of her face but she could still see the toothy grin. Regina couldn’t help but smile. Little Emma was adorable.

“That’s Chris and me outside our apartment building,” Emma told her. “I was about even there.”

“He looks like a nice man,” Regina commented and Emma nodded.

“The nicest.”

Emma went through the box again and handed her another picture.

“This is Neal.”

It was a small square picture with a white boarder that appeared to be what Henry explained to be a ‘selfie’. Emma looked so young, yes she was still young but she was now a woman. This girl was a child and the man in the photograph looked to be at least slightly older. Regina looked at him closely. He did look a lot like Henry, the hair, some of his features. However, she saw more of Henry in young Emma’s face which made her smile fondly.

The pair looked so happy and that made Regina feel uneasy. Not the fact that someone else made Emma happy as Emma deserved all the happiness in the universe. No, it was the knowing what came next. That this man would betray her and leave her to raise a child alone in the world when she was no more than a child herself.

Emma must have noticed her reaction ash she didn’t say anything more about that photograph and instead handed her another.

Regina looked at it in surprise. This wasn’t a photograph, It was a ultrasound, one labelled ‘BABY SWAN’.

Henry.

Regina looked to Emma questioningly.

“This one is complicated,” Emma began to explain. “I had decided not long after Neal died that I was going to give Henry up for adoption. This was my last scan and I wasn’t too pleased about going. I mean I knew I had to but every time I heard his heartbeat…”

Emma stopped and looked down at the box. Regina instinctively put a hand on her shoulder, encouraging her to continue.

“All the other scans, he hadn’t looked real, you know. He either looked like a blob, or a bean, or one of those weird aliens you put in water and grows. I mean, I knew he was going to be a real person but I couldn’t seem to get my head around it. Then I saw this.”

Emma looked down at the ultrasound with a fond smile and Regina couldn’t help but do the same.

“He just looked so _real_ ,” Emma said in awe. “It was the most unreal moment of my life. I mean, it was then I realised I really did have a real life human inside me, someone who was gonna share my blood, be my real family. In all honesty, I think that was the moment when I did really wanna keep him but I was scared to admit it to myself. So I danced around the idea until the doctor put him in my arms. Then I knew for sure, he was mine.”

“Then why is this a bad memory?” Regina frowned. “I mean, it was the beginning of you happy ending.”

“You and your happy endings,” Emma laughed before she cleared her throat to answer the question. “It reminds me of how close I was to giving him up. I hate myself every day for even considering it and I don’t want any more reminders. So it lives in here.”

Regina nodded in understanding before handing the pictures back to Emma, who put them back in the box.

“Thank you for sharing this with me, Emma,” Regina said gratefully. “It means a lot that you trust me enough to show this.”

“You need to know my baggage,” Emma shrugged. “And now you know how I handle it. But that’s not the reason I showed this to you.”

“It’s not?”

“Nope,” Emma shook her head before sitting up straight, looking nervous about what she was going to say next. “I was thinking that maybe we could share the box, if you wanted.”

“Share it?” Regina looked down at Daniel’s ring, still in her palm. “You’d be okay with that?”

“Yeah,” Emma nodded. “I mean it makes sense. We settle our pasts together, not ignoring it but not loitering on it. We can move forward together, if you want?”

Regina thought about it for a moment before sighing.

“You’re not ready yet, Emma.”

“I’m not ready for the romance, no,” Emma agreed. “But I’m ready for the commitment, in whatever form that may be. Friends, lovers, roommates, whatever else we may be. This is separate from all of that. This is about two broken people who want to fix each other.”

Regina looked down at Daniel’s ring before leaning over and dropping it into the box.

It was time. She was ready to be fixed.


	16. I Knew You Were Trouble

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for the great comments and kudos! Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

Henry had looked very handsome in his tux. It had been a rushed buy and Regina had spent a lot of time making alterations by hand so it fit him perfectly. And fit him it did. He'd looked so adorable and the way Emma had combed and jelled his hair made him doubly cute. Both had Emma and Regina worn black, as the custom.

The funeral was better than she expected but still, it had made her shed a tear. Yes, the evil queen cried for a man she barely knew. Emma had been inconsolable throughout the service and the wake, her head rarely leaving Regina’s shoulder.

A few weeks had passed since then and they were beginning to get back to some kind of normal.

Though they had both gone back to full-time work and Henry had gone back to school, nothing was like it was before. It wasn’t negative, but their situation had changed. A major thing being it was now Regina who hosted Emma and Henry in her home.

As Regina got a better hang of life in Storybrooke, she began to excel at numerous things. Cooking being one of them. She’d learnt that recipes were good guidelines but she’d mastered her own ways of preparation and serving that enhanced the dishes. She’d quickly become the cook of the house, both Emma and Henry saying she was like a gourmet chef. She didn’t know if they were lying to make her feel good about herself but it worked either way.

That morning, Regina made them pancakes. She usually only did so on weekends but today Emma was working late and Henry had chess club and soccer practise after school so a good hearty breakfast was in order.

“I love you pancakes,” Emma said with a moan that could easy be considered inappropriate.

Regina rolled her eyes. Why did she like this woman so much?

“And I love making them for you,” Regina replied, making Emma grin.

“And me?” Henry pipped up, making both women laugh.

“And of course Prince Henry.”

Henry’s new nickname wasn’t technically a nickname but more an enforced title. Regina had said it as a joke but he took it to heart and now, in this house, he was Prince Henry.

“You’re welcome, peasant,” Henry replied, earning a glare from his mother.

“Don’t say that again.”

Regina, on the other hand, found it quite amusing. _If only he knew._

“Hey Mom,” Henry spoke up. “Am I all packed for tonight?”

“Yep, all sorted. I’ll drop it round at Toby’s while I’m on patrol.”

“What’s this?” Regina frowned.

“Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you,” Emma replied. “Henry is staying at Toby’s tonight.”

“Tonight? But it’s a school night?”

“That it is,” Emma nodded. “But Toby’s mom asked and I thought what the harm.”

“Oh okay,” Regina shrugged. “I guess it’s just us two tonight then.”

“Ah yeah, about that,” Emma winced. “I forgot to tell you, I’m on the late shift. I won’t be out all night but I won’t be home till early morning.”

“Oh.”

Three emotions washed over her- disappointment, panic, and fear. She’d never stayed a night home alone in…she never had. In her family home, there were her parents and their servants, when she married there was the King and Snow and again, servants. Even when they had gone she had her father, she had her mirror, she had her knight, and she had _more_ servants. Heck, she wasn’t even alone when she was Snow White’s prisoner. Here in Storybrooke there was either Emma or Henry, most of the time both. So the thought of sleeping alone in that big giant house made her feel incredibly uncomfortable.

But she wasn’t going to say anything. No, no, no. She was a grown woman, a grown strong woman. She could handle herself and nothing bad was going to happen anyway…right?

So she put on a smile and nodded in understanding.

“That’s fine. I have some recipes I’ve wanted to test out anyway.”

“Good,” Emma smiled. “Call me before you head home though and when you get here so I don’t worry.”

“I will,” Regina nodded, trying to look positive while she was practically screaming inside.

 

Google had become Regina’s go to for questions she was too embarrassed to ask Emma or Henry.

Today’s question was: _What to do when you’re home alone for the first time?_

She found a page called **How to Keep Yourself from Getting Scared While Home Alone.** That gave her three methods…

  * Stay busy
  * stay calm when something scares you
  * Help yourself stay safe



She was reading through all the tips when she heard the office door opened.

“I don’t want any coffee right now, Tiffany,” she said without looking up from her phone. Hearing the door shut, she continued to scroll through the page. It only when she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye that she realised they handing left.

With a sigh, she locked her phone and set it aside on her desk.

“Tiffany, if you have something to tell me, just sa…” Her voice died when she looked up and saw who it really was. “You.”

“Yes,” Killian Jones said as he approached. “Me.”

Getting to her feet, Regina moved quickly towards the fire place, trying to get as much space between them as she could.

“What are you doing here? I’d have thought you’d be far away from here by now.”

“Oh you’d have liked that, wouldn’t you?” he sneered as he moved towards her. “Me out of the picture so you could have Emma to yourself.”

“You’ve never been in the picture,” she spat back, moving desperately to keep as much space as she could between them but it was getting harder and harder with ever step he took. A part of her was tempted to blast him back with her magic but she knew her emotions were running wild and that was never a good mix. So instead, she used her voice to fight.

“You were never in the picture, Killian,” she spat back. “Just leave while you have the chance.”

At that, he laughed.

“Oh I’m not going anywhere. In fact, you’re going to help me get all that I want.”

“I am?” Regina questioned.

“Aye,” he nodded. “You’re going to use your magic to make everyone forget what happened, make me an innocent man again. I didn’t mean to hurt him, you know. I never meant to hurt Emma either. You? Oh I very much meant that. Then once you’ve done that, you’re going to cast a spell that makes Emma fall in love with me.”

They were both face to face now and despite the man being slightly taller, Regina stood strongly before him.

“Any why on earth would I do that?” she asked and Killian’s lips turned up into an smirk.

“Because if you don’t, I’ll hurt the boy.”


	17. White Rabbit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, thanks for all the kudos and great comments on the last chapter! Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

“I can’t do that.”

“Oh you can and you will.”

“No, I _can’t_ ,” Regina emphasised. “I physically can’t do what you’re asking.”

“Don’t lie to me!” Killian barked. “I know you have magic. You’ve used it on me twice. Don’t deny it now.”

“I’m not denying anything!” Regina snapped back. “No amount of magic could force Emma to fall in love with you and even if I could, there is no way in hell I’d let you anywhere near her.”

“Stop lying,” he hissed, grabbing hold of her blazer lapels. “I know you’ve put a spell on Emma. She’s not a lesbian.”

“No she’s not,” Regina agreed, shoving him off. “She’s bisexual.”

Killian looked confused but that ignorant kind of confused were the person refused any explanation.

“She was into me and then you did something to her that made her fall in love with you. So you fix it and make her fall in love with me!”

Regina sighed. The idiot just wasn’t getting it.

“I’m not doing it, end of.”

“Fine,” Killian growled. “Then the boy will pay for your decision.”

“You won’t do anything to him,” Regina spat back. “What do you think Emma would think of that? If you hurt her son?”

“If I can’t have her, I don’t care. It’ll be worth it to see you tormented by the guilt and how Emma would never forgive you when she finds out you could have prevented it. I never liked the boy anyway, too feminine for my liking. I’ve thought a lot of what I’ll do to him and I’ll tell you now, none of them are merciful.”

Though she knew she’d kill the man before he’d get anywhere near Henry or Emma, she still felt a sting of fear.

“You won’t get anywhere near him,” she told him, her voice shaking as she tried to keep her rage from exploding. “Now I’m only going to tell you once, Mr Jones. Leave this town and never return.”

“Why?” Killian sneered. “You scared?”

“I’m scared of what I’ll do if you don’t. I’m not messing around, Mr Jones.”

“Neither am I. Now I’ll give you one last chance. Do what I ask and the boy will be just fine. You can even keep him. I don’t want to raise any child that isn’t mine.”

That almost pushed Regina over the edge but she managed to just about keep a hold of herself.

“Emma would never give up Henry, not even if she was in love with you. And the fact you expect her to shows you are in no way worthy of her heart.”

“Worthy?” Killian scoffed. “What does that have to do with it? I’m a handsome man and I deserve a beautiful woman. But you must be mistaken. I don’t want Emma to just be in love with me, I want to be her everything. I want to be the only thing she cares about. I want her to be _mine._ ”

That one word triggered it. _Mine_.

She reached the point of no return and she let her anger out at full force. With one blast, Killian flew across the room, landing on the table and causing it to break.

Killian didn’t have time to get to his feet before Regina used her magic to pull him up in the air, tightening an invisible grip on his neck. She enjoyed watching him squirm and claw at his neck as his breaths became struggled.

Then she realised what she was doing and her eyes widened in horror. She quickly let him go, dropping him to the ground where he coughed and spluttered.

Regina felt physically sick. She’d done so well so far, a few slip ups here and there but she truly was becoming Regina Mills and she loved being her. Then, just like that, she was the Evil Queen all over again.

She watched as Killian pulled himself to his feet.

“You fucking bitch!” he hissed. “You say I’m not good enough for Emma but look at you! You’re a monster!”

“Your right,” Regina nodded. “I am a monster and I’m not good enough for Emma. But the difference between you and me is that I care about Emma’s happiness and I don’t want her to change who she is. If you don’t see already how wonderful she is, you’re definitely not good enough her.”

Killian growled and pushed Regina to the ground, pinning her down with a knee on her chest.

“It doesn’t matter. She’s going to be with me with or without your help. I have other plans up my sleeve, all of which involve me getting you and the boy out of the way.”

Regina used her magic to push him off her before jumping to her feet and kicking him in the stomach.

“Go now, Mr Jones. You’re lucky I’m giving you this chance.”

“I’m not going anywhere about Emma.”

“Why are you so obsessed with her? You clearly don’t love her otherwise you wouldn’t act like this.”

Killian laughed as he sat up.

“This isn’t about love, this is about taking back what’s mine.”

There was that word again, _mine._

“She’s not _yours_ ,” Regina snapped, trying to get out her rage through her voice but it still remained close to critical. “Please just leave before I do something I’m going to regret.”

Killian got back to his feet again and got up in her face.

“What you going to do? Hurt me with your witchy powers?”

“Maybe,” Regina replied, looking the man right in the eye and not backing down.

Killian smirked and leaned in to whisper in her ear.

“If you hurt me in any way, I’ll put the boy at the bottom of the ocean.”

That was it. The point of no return.

Regina shoved him back, sending him to the ground again. She stood over him, fists clenched.

“YOU TOUCH EITHER OF THEM AND I’LL RIP OUT YOUR HEART!”

There was a silence between them. Killian stared at her while Regina tried to calm her heavy breathes. After what seemed like hours, a smirk appeared on his lips.

“You don’t have the guts.”

“I don’t?” Regina questioned with a challenging eyebrow. He was on very thin ice here.

“No,” Killian shook her head. “Maybe you were before but after all I’ve said and all I’ve done, I’m still here. Your problem is you care too much. It’s made you weak.”

Her mother’s words instantly rang through her head.

_Love is weakness. Love is weakness. Love is weakness._

Tears in her eyes, Regina couldn’t stop herself from screaming.

“GO AWAY! LEAVE US ALONE!”

She felt the magic flow through her but she didn’t know what it was doing. A sharp whirling breeze ran through her hair, causing her to snap out of her emotional state. As the breeze grew faster and stronger, air swirling around them, she knew whatever it was wasn’t good.

Killian looked around, his face filled with fear.

“What did you do?!”

“I don’t know!”

It was then that the ground began to come away, revealing a portal similar to the one she had arrived to Storybrooke through.

Regina stared at it in horror. That was impossible.

The portal began to drag Killian in and he desperately clawed at the ground, trying to stop himself from be sucked down into the void.

“Help me!” he cried and despite her reservations, she grasped him arm and tried to pull him out.

Though she was strong, the force of the portal was stronger and she soon found herself handing over the edge, still holding onto Killian who was hanging there helplessly.

“Pull me up!” he demanded.

“I’m trying,” she cried, pulling with all her might to no avail.

“Then try harder.”

And she did, she tried. But in the end, she knew there was nothing she could do.

“I’m sorry,” she called down, loosening her grip on his hand. “I can’t go back there.”

“NO!” he cried, trying to pull his other arm up but the force of the portal kept it down. “YOU PULL ME UP YOU FUCKING BITCH!”

Regina looked him in the eye one last time before letting him go, watching him fall as the ground closed up, restoring the floor as though nothing happened.

Her eyes wide, she placed her palm against the cold marble.

What had she done?

Getting to her feet, Regina straightened her clothes and ran a hand through her windswept hair. With a movement of her hand, her table repaired itself and everything was the way it was. As though nothing had happened.

Regina moved back to her desk, sitting back in her chair and picked up a file. She began to work and pretend everything was fine, not noticing the ring that had skidded under the couch.


	18. You Belong With Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for the great comments and kudos! Here's another chapter and again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

As requested, she sent Emma a text when she left the office. If there was any night Regina wished she was going home to the two Swan’s, it would be this night. Her conscience was heavy and for the first time she wished she still had the thick skin of the Evil Queen were guilt was never an issue. Within such a short space of time, Emma and Henry had stripped that away and she couldn’t deal with what she’d done.

God knows were Killian Jones had gone but it would likely not be anywhere good. She should have tried harder to save him, to stop thinking of her own safety.

 _Wow_ , she thought, _this whole redemption thing was pretty tough._

The problem with redemption was that you weren’t expected to be a good person, put an exceptional person. Yes she was putting all the pressure on herself but there were moments when Regina found it incredibly unfair. This was one of them.

As she pulled up outside the house, before getting out she sent Emma another text before getting out and heading through the front door. Searching through her bag for her keys, she didn’t find them until she’d reached the door. With a sigh, she unlocked the door to what she thought was an empty house.

But it wasn’t.

Candles illuminated the hallway a safe distance from the door.

Regina frowned and closed the door behind her. Looking around, she saw a path of rose petals on the floor, leading through to the dining room. Despite her suspicions, she followed them.

The dining room was lit by the dozens upon dozens of candles, all of different colour, scents, shapes and sizes. The petals were spread everywhere, surrounding the set dinner table. In the middle of the room was Emma, holding a single rose.

“Emma?”

“Hey,” Emma smiled shyly.

“I thought you were working late?” Regina frowned in confusion.

“Yeah, I lied,” Emma admitted, stepping towards her. “I wanted to surprise you.”

“Well you certainly have,” Regina laughed lightly before looking at Emma’s attire. She was wearing a long lose dress with a tropical pattern and low neckline. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun, making her resemble some kind of goddess. Well she always looked like a goddess in her eyes. Still, wow. “You look so beautiful.”

“Thanks,” Emma blushed. “So do you.”

Regina looked down at her work attire and sighed.

“I’m not dressed up.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Emma told her. “You’re always beautiful to me.”

Regina felt her cheeks reddening and bowed her head slightly.

“You’re so cute,” Emma laughed before holding the flower out to her. “I know it’s not as unique as the one you got me but I hope you like it.”

“I love it,” Regina smiled, taking it excitedly.

“Good, I wish I’d pressed that one you got me.”

“I’ll get you another one,” Regina promised. “A better one. The best flower to ever bloom.”

Emma laughed again before taking Regina’s hand.

“Come on, I got us dinner.”

Regina followed her and sat in the chair Emma pulled out for her.

“Thank you.”

“Your welcome, M’Lady,” Emma teased before rushing out of the room.

“Emma?” Regina frowned, not relaxing until she saw the other woman return carrying two plates with an unopened bottle of wine under her arm.

“Bon appetite,” she said as she placed the plate in front of Regina. As soon as she saw what it was, Regina grinned.

“Lasagne!”

“Yep,” Emma smiled proudly. “I picked it up from the place we went on our first date since you said the other day you’d not had any better. Which I think is impossible because you make the best lasagne.”

“Oh no, this is much better,” Regina insisted. “Thank you so much, Emma.”

“Well I am trying to sweep you off your feet,” Emma teased as she filled their glasses with wine before sitting down. They both began to dig into the food.

“So,” Emma spoke up. “How was your day?”

“Fine,” Regina said a little too quickly before clearing her throat. “It was a pretty normal day as days go. Until now of course. How was yours?”

“Alright, I was pretty nervous about this.”

“Why?” Regina asked. “We’ve had dinner many times.”

“Not like this,” Emma pointed out. “Well maybe that first date but this is different.”

“Different?”

“Yeah,” Emma nodded. “I mean I liked you then, I always have in a way. At first I thought you were strong, which I admired. Then funny, then cute, then hot. It didn’t take long for me to realise my feelings for you were more than a crush. When you asked me out, I felt like I was young again.”

“You are young,” Regina interrupted, making Emma laugh.

“Okay, _younger_.”

Regina nodded in approval and Emma continued.

“Anyway, I was supper happy, like I felt as though I was on the right path…”

When Emma couldn’t seem to find the words, Regina helped her.

“Happy ending?”

Emma chuckled but nodded.

“Yeah, the happy ending were I had someone who liked me and who Henry liked and I also liked back. That was what I thought my happy ending was all about but then I realised, when Graham died, that wasn’t what I needed.”

Regina’s heart dropped.

Clearing her throat, she put I knife and fork down and wiped the corners of her mouth with her cloth napkin.

“I see. Emma, if this is your way of letting me down easily then you didn’t have to go all this trouble. You just had to say and I’d have understood.”

Emma’s eyes widened before she began to laugh softly. Regina frowned in confusion. Emma would never laugh at breaking her heart. She watched as the other woman shook her head before getting to her feet, moving round the table so she could crouch down next to her.

Still laughing, Emma took both her hands in hers.

“This isn’t a break up, quite the opposite,” Emma assured her. “Anyway, as I was saying, after Graham died, I was a wreck as you know. Losing him…it made me forget myself and I can’t do that, not with Henry depending on me. Then there was you picking up everything, looking after Henry, talking to him about what happened and helping him understand when I couldn’t. Then how you made me cool down, telling me no when I came on to you because you knew it wasn’t right, being the source of comfort and strength when we needed it most. It was amazing.”

“I only did what anyone else would have done,” Regina shrugged it off, to which Emma shook her head.

“No, it was amazing,” Emma insisted. “Without you, everything would have been so much worse. You kept us up through such a difficult time and it was then I realised what my happy ending is. What I need is not just a lover but a friend, a partner, someone who I can lean on in the hard times and pick me up when I stumble. Someone who will not only love Henry but also join me in raising him and be open to being a true family. Not a picture picture family but a real family and also be able to handle all the responsibility that comes with it. I know it’s a lot to ask but that’s what me and Henry need.”

Regina nodded in understanding as Emma continued.

“While I was realising this, I was also realising that you already were all those things. You’re already a part of this family, you’re already an important part of Henry’s life and mine too. You’re my friend, my partner in crime, the person I want to come home to everyday and help me raise Henry into being a kind, intelligent, strong young man. I know feelings and situations change and we haven’t even properly gotten together and I’m a rambling mess but…I just want you. Friend, partner, co-parent, and, if you still want to be, lover.”

Even if she wanted to, Regina couldn’t have stop herself from smiling.

“I want to be all of those things, more than anything,” she assured her. “But what if I mess it up? I’ve never really been any of those things before.”

“You already are,” Emma told her, a huge grin on her face. “And we’re partners, remember. You trip and I’ll always catch you. But like I said, you already are all those things.

“Except lover,” Regina pointed out and Emma’s grin quickly turned into a suggestive smirk.

“Well then we'd better work on that…”

Regina smirked also and mirrored Emma as she leaned in until their lips met.

This was the right first kiss, everything she’d always dreamed of and more. Her heart was doing somersaults and the butterflies in her stomach were having a frenzy. Everything about Emma was intoxicating and she couldn’t help but reach into Emma’s hair, ruining the bun in order to pull her closer, totally lost in her lover’s kiss.

Yet she still felt what she’d hoped and slightly feared. It was small, maybe even a buzz that Emma clearly didn’t even notice, but magic was there and Regina knew exactly what that meant.


	19. Feel Good Inc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all the great comments and kudos. Again I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

That morning Regina once again found herself making pancakes. This time, however, she was interrupted by two arms wrapping around her waist.

“Morning, babe,” Emma spoke right in her ear before placing a soft kiss on her neck.

“Good morning,” Regina replied with a blush. “Did you sleep well?”

“As well as I could after you left me with that good night kiss. I mean talk about wow. You’re a great kisser.”

Regina’s blush drew deeper as she flipped the pancakes on the pan.

“It’s only my passion for you that makes me good.”

She meant that on a number of levels.

“Then you must be pretty passionate about me.”

“I certainly am.”

Emma laughed and placed another kiss on her neck.

“You know how to treat a girl, Mills.”

Regina laughed but didn’t respond as she was busy plating up the finished pancakes and pouring out the remainder of the pancakes. Emma rested her chin on her shoulder, holding her closer.

“Hey, thanks for understanding last night.”

“Understanding?” Regina frowned.

“Yeah, you know, about us not going all the way just yet.”

“You don’t need to thank me for understanding,” Regina told her. “If you’re not ready, don’t think about what the other person says and if they protest, dump them like a ton of bricks. Or dump a ton of bricks on them.”

Emma laughed again before snuggling impossibly closer.

“I know, but still I love that you’re supportive. It makes me feel comfortable, safe.”

“Good,” Regina smiled. “I’m gonna try my damned hardest to make sure you and Henry feel like that every day.”

“And we’ll do the same for you. I meant what I said last night, we’re a family, whether we’re together or not.”

“But we are together, right?”

“Oh we’re definitely together.”

Regina turned her head and placed a quick kiss on Emma’s lips before continuing with the pancakes.

 

After school, Henry biked to the diner where he was meeting his mom and Regina. His mom had told him about his plan to sweep Regina off her feet. It had been a pretty intense conversation. She’d asked him if it was okay for her and Regina to date and his answer was of course yes. He already thought of Regina as family and he wanted his mom to be happy.

Honestly, he was excited to find out how it had gone and had been thinking about it all day at school. So he rushed down Mainstreet and pulled up at the diner. Getting his lock out of his backpack, he led the bike over to lock it to the fence outside. He struggled a bit, more used to locking it on the bike racks at school.

“Hey, want a hand?”

Henry looked up and saw a tall man walking over. His mom had told him not to talk to strangers so he said nothing in reply. The man must have noticed his hesitation as he quickly held his hands up.

“Don’t worry. I’m friends with Regina. You’re Henry, right?”

He instantly relaxed and nodded.

“Yeah. Are you really friends with Regina?”

“Yeah, we go way back,” he replied before pointing to the bike. “Want me to help you with that?”

Henry nodded and handed him the lock. He watched as the man locked his bike up without issue.

“Thank you,” he grinned.

“No problem,” the man replied before reaching into his bag. “Hey, you like reading?”

“Yeah, I love reading,” Henry grinned, making the man laughed.

“I thought so,” he said as he pulled out a large book and handed it to Henry. “Here. This is a book I wrote. It’s not out in the stores yet.”

“Cool!” Henry said excitedly as he took the book from him. “Thanks!”

“No problem, just don’t show anyone. It’s top secret. Don’t want anyone getting spoiled before it’s out there for everyone to read.”

Henry nodded and quickly hid it in his backpack.

“So what’s your name?”

The man opened his mouth to reply when he heard the door to the diner open.

“Henry?”

He looked upon hearing his name and saw his mom running over, Regina following her. When Regina saw the man, Henry noticed her hesitate. However he didn’t have much time to think about it before his mom moved between him and the man.

“Who the hell are you and why are you talking to my son?”

The man backed up before looking to Regina.

“I’m Regina’s friend.”

His mom looked to Regina too, who was stood completely still, petrified like in _Harry Potter_.

“Do you know him?” his mom asked Regina. She hesitated again before shaking her head.

“No, I’ve never seen him before.”

Henry could tell Regina was lying but he wasn’t mad at her. His mom had told him sometimes people lied because they were scared and Regina looked terrified. His mom must have noticed that too because she grabbed the man by the scruff of his shirt.

“You stay away from my son and my girlfriend, you got it. I have a registered firearm and I’m not afraid to use it.”

“Okay, okay,” the man nodded and his mom let him go. He looked once more to Regina before running off.

His mom instantly knelt down in front of him, putting her hands on his shoulders and looking him straight in the eye.

“Did he hurt you?”

“No,” Henry shook his head before getting the book out of his backpack. He knew secrets were meant to be kept but that man scared Regina so he could go to hell for all he cared. “But he gave me this.”

Regina was instantly by their side, watching as he handed the book over to his mom.

“What is it?”

“Some kind of book,” his mom frowned, running her hand over the cover. Henry looked down too and read the title again.

_Once Upon a Time._

“I’m gonna go put this in evidence at the station and get one of the other guys on it,” he heard his mom say to Regina before tucking the book under her arm. “Order me a grilled cheese please. I won’t be long.”

Henry watched his mom go, taking the book with her. He had a funny feeling in his stomach and it only grew worse the further the book got away from him.

“Come on, Henry,” Regina spoke up.” Let’s go inside.”

Henry looked up ate Regina and his eyes widened. She was dressed in a light blue dress, her hair long again but neater, more girly. She looked like a princess out of a Disney movie, but that wasn’t the right word to describe her.

“Henry?”

He blinked and snapped out of whatever trance he’d been under. Regina looked normal again and was looking at him in concern.

“Yeah, I’m coming,” he said before following her inside, confused by what just happened.


	20. No Lie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all my comments and kudos! Sorry this chapter is late but we took my doggo to a forest for the bank holiday (which she absolutely loved!) so when I got home I had to catch up on Game of Thrones and Twin Peaks before the spoilers attacked! Anyway, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

Henry had been unusually quiet during dinner and when he did talk, he’d only talk to Emma. Of course Regina was upset not about what August had said (although she was quite concerned about that also) but the fact Henry wouldn’t speak to her actually made her heart hurt.

When they got home, he ran straight upstairs. Regina moved to go after him but Emma put a light hand on her shoulder to stop her.

“Leave it,” she told her. “He’s probably freaked out. I’ll talk to him later when he’s had some time to calm down.”

Regina nodded in agreement before looking down at her feet.

“He won’t even look at me.”

“Hey, hey,” Emma said in a soft, smoothing voice, bringing a light hand under her chin to encourage the other woman to look at her. “Don’t worry. He’s shook up, we all were, but he’s a kid and he was scared. Sure he talked to me but I’m his mom, I’m the person who scares monsters out from under his bed. He trusts me to protect him.”

“I can protect him,” Regina said adamantly and Emma nodded.

“Yeah, I’m sure you could and one day I hope he’ll trust you as much as he trusts me, but I have ten years under my belt. Yet in such a short space of time, you’ve earnt enough trust for him to talk to you about things he’d only ever discuss with me, if that. It won’t be long before he runs to you when he’s scared and I know you’ll kick ass. Until then, don’t worry at all. He absolutely adores you and, for the record, so do I.”

Despite the negative feelings fighting inside her, Emma’s words made her smile.

“I love Henry with all your being,” Regina replied seriously before a teasing smirk appeared on her lips. “You’re okay, I guess.”

“Oh charming,” Emma laughed, wrapping her arms around Regina who did the same in return. “I guess I’d better start playing my A game.”

“Yes, you’d better,” Regina laughed in turn before leaning in and kissing Emma softly, who quickly recuperated it.

The magic was stronger this time and Regina feared that soon Emma would feel it. However, a part of her felt an additional leap of excitement whenever she felt it.

They pulled apart in unison, both looking at each other with light smiles on their faces.

Emma reached between them and took Regina’s hand in hers.

“Come on, we should talk.”

Regina nodded and allowed Emma to lead her through to the living room, sitting down next to each other on the couch.

“I saw how you looked at that guy,” Emma began. “I saw you were scared and I saw that you knew him.”

“I don’t know him,” Regina stated quickly before hesitating.

“You don’t?” Emma questioned sceptically. In a moment of panic, Regina decided honesty was the best policy.

“No, not like he insists,” Regina explained. “I know I should have told you but he’s been following me around town, saying that he knows me but I have no idea who he his.”

Emma sighed and put her head in her hands.

“Regina, for fuck sake.”

“I know, I’m sorry.”

“When have you seen him?” Emma asked and when Regina didn’t reply, she reached over and softly cupped her face. “Babe, please tell me.”

“I first saw him when I went out to the woods. He disappeared before you and Graham got there. And then I saw him at the loft when I went to pick up your stuff. Then today.”

Emma sighed again, running her hands lightly over Regina’s hair before resting her hands on her shoulders.

“He’s never going near you or Henry ever again. I’m gonna make it my mission to find this son of a bitch and I’m gonna find out what he wants with you. Until then, I’m gonna get you a pepper spray and if he comes here again, discretely call me and I’ll find you. I’ll always find you.”

“Emma, you don’t have to…”

“No, I do,” Emma insisted. “He’s scared my family and I’m not having it.”

“Okay,” Regina nodded in acceptance. “You’re the sheriff.”

“Yeah I am,” Emma said with a smug smile before placing a searing kiss on Regina’s lips. When she pulled away, she cupped the other woman’s cheeks again, looking into her eyes seriously. “If anything happened to either of you, I don’t know what I’d do.”

“Nothing will happen to us or you,” Regina promised her. “Everything will be fine, I promise.”

Emma nodded, kissing Regina one more time before getting to her feet.

“I’m gonna talk to Henry.”

“Okay,” Regina replied. “I’ll be right here.”

Emma leaned down and kissed her one last time before heading out of the room. Regina watched her leave and listened for her to go upstairs. Once she was sure Emma was in Henry’s room, Regina got to her feel and poofed herself out of the room.

She reappeared down at the dock, a place she knew would be empty at this time. The sky was darkening and most of the dock was bathed in shadow.

“If I am in fact the person who gives you these instructions then I would have told you to be here.”

The man walked out of the shadows, hands in the pockets of his leather jacket.

“And that you did.”

Regina gave him her most venomous glare.

“How _dare_ you go near Henry! You scared him and Emma is furious!”

“It had to be done,” the man shrugged and Regina shook her head in disbelief.

“I don’t care what you say about me giving you these instructions. I’d _never_ ask you to get Henry involved. There is no way I’d ask you to do such a thing.”

“You didn’t have to ask me,” the man replied. “I did what had to be done.”

“Yes well you’ve certainly done it,” Regina snapped. “Emma is looking for you and I suggest you get out of here pretty quick. She’s a formidable force.”

“Thanks for the heads up,” the man smiled for a moment before Regina put a bud in it.

“I’m only telly you because you gave me Daniel’s ring,” Regina told her. “Get out of town or you’ll not only be facing Emma’s wrath, but also mine.”

With that, she turned to walk away.

“I’m not leaving,” the man called after her. “And you’ll thank me later that I stayed.”

“You believe that, buddy,” she called back. “You’ll only be signing your own death warrant.”

With that, Regina poofed herself back to her home. She appeared in the kitchen and she could hear Emma calling her name from upstairs.

“Coming!” she called back before quickly heading up the staircase and walking into Henry’s room.

Both mother and son were sat on his bed. Henry’s eyes were red from crying but still his face lit up when he saw her, leaping off the bed and throwing himself into her arms.

“I’m sorry I upset you, Regina,” he mumbled into her shoulder. Regina held him close and pressed a soft kiss on the top of his head.

“Don’t even worry about it,” she assured him. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

Regina looked over to Emma, who was watching the scene with a loving smile.

Despite what had happened, Regina couldn’t help but feel happy. This was her family, her real happy ending.

And it was all built on a lie. A lie that would rear its ugly head sooner than she’d hope.


	21. All the Small Things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all the comments and kudos! Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

Emma walked into the sheriff’s station with a smile on her face. That morning Regina had been so adorable. She was nervous for a presentation she was doing and did a little rehearsal for her and Henry. Though they were all still in their pyjamas, Regina took it as seriously as she would a TED Talk and remained completely professional. Despite the humorous situation, Emma thought she aced it and planned on surprising her during her lunchbreak to see how the actual presentation went.

Walking into her office, she went straight to the evidence room and found the book that creep had given Henry. Even thinking about it made her angry but never the less, she brought it through to her office.

Sitting back in her chair, she opened the book to the first page.

_Once Upon a Time in a faraway land, a war raged between two Queens. Queen Snow White, who was beloved by the kingdom and had married her married her handsome prince charming. And the Evil Queen, who was despised and widowed by the former king whom she did not love._

Emma rolled her eyes. Of course you can’t introduce two strong women without mentioning the men in their lives.

_Though many believed the Evil Queen to be filled with hate and wanted to cause people pain for the fun of it. Yet in reality, the Evil Queen was sad, the saddest soul in the entire kingdom. Though her anger had consumed her, it was not totally unwarranted. She had been wronged by those who should have protected her, without anyone to love her and answer her desperate cries for help. There was no one lonelier than the Evil Queen and she was now not only a prisoner in her own heart, but in Snow White’s castle._

Emma sighed and closed the book. She’d never been a fan of fairy tales. Sure she’d loved all the _Disney_ stuff when she was a kid but it was something that had never translated well to adulthood, in her case at least. Though her current happiness and Regina’s infectious hope of a ‘happy ending’, she still didn’t like the fact most of the women’s dreams come true was marrying a rich guy. Nothing wrong with that but it wasn’t something that Emma considered a good role model for kids. So she’d never really pushed them on Henry, just showing him the stuff she enjoyed, like _Star Wars!_

It was kind of funny now that she thought about it considering she was now living in a huge house owned by her Mayor girlfriend. But that was different. She didn’t fall head over heels for Regina in a cringe insta-love way just because she was pretty and in a position of power. No, her and Regina weren’t some princess movie, they were real. And the fact that they were real made the feelings between them even more magical.

Putting the book in her desk draw, she reached for the file on her desk. She’d pulled the CCTV from the diner to get a crappy image of the guy’s face and had pulled his fingerprints from the book and Henry’s bike lock. Yet there were no matches in the criminal database and she was waiting on a reply about finding a photo ID. Right now, she had nothing.

So she was now looking out for him and Killian Jones, who had still not been seen since the night of Graham’s death. Being stuck on a case really rubbed her the wrong way but being unable to find the assholes who hurt the people she loved was the worst feeling ever. She felt so useless and at times, the only thing that was getting her through the day sometimes was the thought of going home to Henry and Regina.

As the clock hit eleven, she was out of her office and making her way to the bug. Driving the short distance to the town hall, she waited in her car until she saw the town officials leaving the building. She quickly got out and ran across the street, heading through the building to her girlfriends office. She knocked on the door and couldn’t help but smile as Regina called back.

“Come on in.”

Emma opened the door and walked into the room. Regina was at her desk and her face lit up when she saw her.

“Emma,” she grinned, getting to her feet. “I wasn’t expecting you so soon.”

“Wanting some more time away from me?” Emma teased as she closed the door behind her. It was only a joke but Regina looked horrified.

“Oh no, Emma,” she shook her head. “If it was up to me, I’d never be away from you.”

“Chill, Regina, I was kidding,” Emma laughed, meeting Regina in the middle of the room. She placed her hands on Regina’s hips as the mayor arms around her neck. The sheriff placed a soft kiss on her girlfriend’s lips before pressing her forehead against hers. “I’ve had a rough morning.”

“You did?” Regina frowned in concern. “What happened?”

“Nothing really,” Emma shrugged. “I’m just feeling kind of useless recently. You know, I can’t find Killian and this guy and I don’t only feel like a crappy sheriff but I feel like….If I can’t protect my own family, what is the point?”

“Oh Emma,” Regina sighed. “You’re not useless, far from it in fact. Just because you can’t find two guys that are probably far away from here by now doesn’t mean you’re a bad sheriff. You’re great at you job, both as a sheriff and as a mother. Of course I can’t speak for everyone but I’ve never safer than I do here and that is all down to you.”

Emma couldn’t help but smile at that. Damn, this woman really knew what to say to a girl.

“Thanks,” she said, looking at Regina in awe. “What did I ever do to deserve you?”

“Well you did take me in and feed me for weeks,” Regina teased before leaning in and placing a quick kiss on Emma’s lips. “You deserve the world, Emma Swan.”

Emma kissed Regina again, this time fiercely. She lost herself in Regina’s painted lips, their tongues dancing together while they desperately clung to each other.

It didn’t take long for Emma to find herself on the edge once again. Despite her and Regina being incredibly passionate and in what could be considered as a serious relationship, they still hadn’t gone all the way. Or anywhere passed kissing really. Yet recently she found herself wanting to push herself forward and take the next step in their relationship. She knew Regina was the right person and she trusted her to cool it down if she asked.

But she never could build up the guts to make the first move. That kiss, however, gave her some momentum.

Yet before she could do anything, the intercom buzzed.

_“Madam Mayor, you have a call on line one. That’s the one that’s blinking.”_

Regina pulled away and moved to her desk, pressing the intercom to reply.

“Okay, thanks Tiffany,” she replied before picking up the phone. “Sorry Emma.”

“Hey, it’s your job. I’ll be right here.”

Regina smiled at her before answering the call.

“Regina Mills, how can I be of assistance?”

Emma tried not to laugh. It was hilarious seeing the woman who wore moose feet slippers round the house act so professional. Not wanting to listen in to Regina’s call, she began to look around to find something to occupy herself with.

It was then she noticed something glistening just under the couch. Thinking it to be a penny, Emma reached down to pick it up. Yet as soon as she reached under and grasped the object, she knew it wasn’t a penny.

Standing up, she opened her hand and did a double take when she realised what it was. Looking to Regina, her mind began to race at hyper-speed.

She knew the ring and she knew for sure that it had been on Killian Jones’s finger the night Graham died. So how did it end up under Regina’s couch?


	22. Believer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all the comments and kudos. Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

Emma made an excuse and left Regina’s office as quickly as she could. Once she was back in the bug, she let out a deep breath before pulling the ring out from her pocket.

It was definitely his. Though she had paid very little attention it before, it had a unique design and the sight of it caused many memories to return. The most prominent being him reaching for her arm not long before Regina burst into her life.

There were so many thoughts running through her head. How had it ended up there? Had he gone to see Regina? Had she spoken with him? Why didn’t she tell her? Where had he gone after?

Emma shook the thought out of her mind and put the ring back in her pocket. Turning on the engine, she drove back to the station, ready to find the answers she needed.

When she reached the station, she ran into the building and to her office. As she was about to log onto her computer, she quickly noticed her desk draw was slightly open.

Emma frowned as she saw the lock had been broken. Pulling the draw open, she found that the book was gone.

“Fuck,” she cursed, getting up and kicking her waste paper bin. Could this day get any worse?

 

Henry ran towards Regina when he saw her waiting by the gate.

“Regina!” he grinned, greeting her with a hug. “What are you doing here?”

“Your mother is caught up at work and she asked me to pick you up,” she replied as they began to walk towards her car. “So you can run up and do your homework before dinner and then we can all watch a film or something.”

Henry grinned at that. One of his favourite things to do was showing Regina films. Good and bad. Last time they’d shown her _Shrek_ and she laughed all the way through it. The worst time had been with _Matilda_ though. She’d cried through most of it and his mom had turned it off before the end. So from then they kept them happy and funny.

Regina drove them home and told Henry she’d be in her study if she needed him. He nodded in understanding before running upstairs. He had Math and English homework to do so he wanted to get it all done as soon as possible.

Then, when he opened the room, all that went out of the window.

There, lying on his bed, was the book.

He knew he should call for Regina, tell her what he’d found so she could tell his mom.

But he didn’t.

Instead, he closed his door and put his desk chair in front of it as a makeshift lock.

Sitting on his bed, he opened the first page of the book and began to read. It was okay written, he guessed. Not exactly _Harry Potter_ but it was readable. It was all about the Evil Queen, who wasn’t evil, just sad. He felt kind of sorry for her. After all, he was lucky to have his mom and Regina, who loved him and made sure he was safe. The Evil Queen had no one and was broken. Henry hoped someone would put her back together again by the end.

Henry sighed before turning to the next double page, finding them to be different from the first. While one page continued the story, the other was covered by an illustration. A woman on her knees, weak and fragile, presented to a king and queen, who he guessed were Snow White and Prince Charming. That made the woman the Evil Queen.

He squinted at the small drawing of the woman. There was something familiar about her, as though he’d seen her before. But he couldn’t have. The Evil Queen was so fragile and Henry had never seen anyone like that before. Then he realised her had. His eyes widened as looked even closely at the image.

“Regina?”

 

Despite her usual reservations, Regina decided to make burgers that evening since Emma was having a tough day. She wished she could do more to ease her girlfriend’s guilt but she knew how much Emma loved food so thought that was a good place to start.

She was just putting the potato wedges in the in the oven when Emma walked in.

“Hey,” she said, throwing her a quick smile over her shoulder before concentrating to the task at hand. “Dinner shouldn’t be too much longer and I sent Henry up to do his homework. I thought we could have a relaxing movie night.”

“Have you seen Killian since the night Graham died?”

Regina instantly stopped what she was doing. She turned and looked to her girlfriend, who was loitering in the doorway, arms folded.

“What?” she frowned. “Emma, what are you talking about?”

“Don’t lie to me,” the sheriff snapped, moving over and placing a large ring on the kitchen island. “I found his ring under the couch in your office. He had it on the night Graham died, I remember it clear as day. Yet somehow it ended up in your office. Now you tell me how it ended up there and don’t you dare lie because I’ll know.”

Regina sighed, quickly turning on the oven before facing her girlfriend again.

“He came to my office a few weeks ago. He said some things and I made him leave.”

“What things?” Emma asked and when Regina didn’t answer, she demanded. “What things, Regina?!”

“He said he wanted me to leave with Henry so he could have you all to himself. I kept telling him no but he said he was going to hurt Henry if I didn’t.”

“Fucking bastard,” Emma growled, fists clenched. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I knew you’d react like this,” Regina replied, which was technically true. “Look, I’d dealt with it and you were finally getting better after Graham so I didn’t want to ruin that.”

“Damn it, Regina, you should have told me!”

“I know,” she nodded. “I’m sorry.”

Emma said nothing for a few moments, her brow set in a deep frown.

“What do you mean you ‘dealt with it’,” she asked. “Please tell me you didn’t do anything stupid.”

“Depends on your idea of stupid,” Regina replied.

“Well was it illegal.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Did you hurt him?”

“Nothing bad, mostly just defending myself when he got overly aggressive.”

“So what did you do?” Emma questioned. “How did you get him to leave?”

“I have a few tricks up my sleeve,” Regina answered cryptically. “But I didn’t hurt him, I did nothing against the law, and he will never come back into our lives.”

“Never?” Emma asked hopefully.

“Never ever,” Regina promised and after a moment of thought, Emma nodded in acceptance.

“Okay, I believe you.”

“You do?”

“Yes, just never lie to me again.”

“I promise I won’t.”

Emma moved across the rooms and held Regina tight in her arms.

Regina couldn’t help but smile. For the first time in what felt like forever, someone believed she hadn’t caused any pain, that she’d done nothing (intentionally) wrong.

Little did she know that Emma didn’t believe a word she said.


	23. Suspicious Minds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all the comments and kudos. Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

The Storybrooke grocery store opened at 8 o’clock sharp and when the manager arrived to open up at 7:30, Emma Swan was waiting outside.

“Sheriff Swan,” he greeted her. “How can I help you?”

“Do you keep the CCTV footage from weeks ago?”

“Yes,” he nodded. “I keep them on a hard drive just in case. Why? Do you need something?”

“May I have the hard drive from maybe a month and a half, two months go?”

“Of course,” he nodded, unlocking the door. “Wait right here and I’ll bring it out.”

Emma nodded and watched as he went inside. The longer she waited, the guiltier she felt. She should trust Regina completely and she did, for the most part. She knew Regina hadn’t lied in the black and white sense the previous evening but something about her girlfriend’s confession didn’t sit right with her. And honestly, this wasn’t the first time she’d felt this way.

Though she other woman had poured her heart out to Emma on more than one occasion, she always had a feeling that Regina was holding something back. Yet Regina had always been so caring, never pushing her into anything or using her like others had. They were happy, happier than any of them had ever spelt. But still, there was still something there, lingering in the back of Emma’s mind that since finding Killian’s ring just refused to go away.

So, despite her guilt, she knew she had to follow her gut. And her gut told her Regina was hiding something big.

The store manager returned, breaking Emma from her thoughts.

“Here you go,” he said, handing her the hard drive. “I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

Funny, Emma didn’t know if she did.

“Thanks,” she said, putting the hard drive in her jacket pocket. “I’ll bring this back to you when I’m done.”

“Take as much time as you need,” he assured her. “Good luck, Sheriff.”

Emma gave him a small smile before running to the bug, hoping to be home for breakfast.

 

Regina was awoken by the door slamming downstairs. She frowned and looked at her clock, seeing it was ten to eight.

“Shit,” she cursed, rushing around to get ready.

By the time she’d gotten downstairs, Emma and Henry were sat eating breakfast.

“Hey, sleepyhead,” Emma teased her. “You set your alarm last night or what?”

Regina mentally kicked herself. She’d been too dizzy after a heavy make-out session with Emma that she’d totally forgotten.

She just sighed and sat in the chair next to Henry, pouring herself a bowl of cereal.

“So what are you two got planned for today?” she asked, trying to make conversation.

“I’ve got a special art class this afternoon. We’re making hats!”

“Very good!” Regina nodded in approval. “What about you, Emma?”

“Me?” Emma asked before taking a sip of her orange juice.

“Yes you,” Regina replied, playfully rolling her eyes.

“Nothing really,” Emma shrugged. “Paperwork unless something happens.”

“Well if you feel like a break, I’m going to be in the office all day so you could come round. Maybe we could have lunch together?”

“I don’t know, I have a lot of paperwork to do. I’ll let you know though.”

That made her frown. Emma always had a lot of paperwork to do and Regina was more than used to being the sheriff’s excuse avoid doing the tedious work.

She didn’t comment on it though, she wasn’t going to create a scene in front of Henry. So she just got up and made herself some coffee, trying to push back her insecurities.

 

It was almost lunch and Emma was so bored of watching people shopping for groceries that she was in half a mind to take Regina up on her offer. She knew she shouldn’t use her girlfriend to have a break from investigating her girlfriend but still, she was close to just giving up.

She was on the night Regina first asked her on a date, one of her fondest memories. The thought of it made her smile. As she watched the image of the near empty store, she considered just turning it off. Though something was bugging her, she was too scared of losing what they had, even if was of her own accord.

She was just about to turn it off when Regina appeared on screen. Emma instantly sat up, leaning closely to get a better look at the mediocre quality footage.

For a few moments, everything seemed fine, Regina just getting something from the shelves. The cheese for the pasta bake, she remembered. Then Emma’s stomach dropped as, out of one of the camera’s blind-spots, appeared Killian Jones.

Emma’s fists clenched. Just seeing him there made her angry.

He seemed to get Regina’s attention and both of them appeared to argue, stood at either end of the isle as though in a stand-off. Then Killian stormed towards her and Emma’s eyes widened in horror. Although she knew Regina had come home safe to her, she still felt a flash of fear when seeing her girlfriend in danger.

Then something happened that made Emma do double-take. She rewinded the tape and played it again, and again, and again. Each time she thought she’d seen it wrong, that it was a trick of the light or a fault with the footage. Yet, after watching the moment over a dozen times, she realised that did in fact happen.

Emma leaned back in her chair, staring at her computer monitor in disbelief.

“Holy shit.”


	24. Never Tear Us Apart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all the great comments and kudos! Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

Regina found Henry sat outside of the principal’s office, head bowed in shame.

“Henry,” she said with a hint of in relief. When the principal had called her saying Henry was in trouble, she feared the worst. When she looked up at her, she saw no bruises, no tears, just a solemn expression.

The phrase ‘in trouble’ had a double meaning and Regina’s mind had instantly gone for the variation meaning danger. Now she realised it meant he was being reprimanded. Folding her arms, she looked down at him with a raise eyebrow.

“Well, what happened?”

Henry said nothing, just looked down at his feet.

“Henry,” Regina sighed. “Come on, I’m going to find out either way and I’d very much like to hear it from you first.”

He met her gaze again and opened his mouth to answer yet before he could, Emma rounded the corner and marched over to them.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Emma demanded, taking Regina by surprise.

“The school called me when they couldn’t get in touch with you,” she replied. “I tried to call you…”

“Yeah, I know you did,” Emma snapped before looking down at Henry. “What have you done?”

Both Regina and Henry looked at Emma with wide eyes. Again, before Henry could reply, the principal exited the office.

“Excellent you are both here,” she replied before looking down at Henry. “Shall I tell your mothers or shall I?”

 _Mothers_. That took Regina aback for a moment before she smiled. Emma, however, wasn’t as pleased.

“ _I_ am his mother and just tell me what the kid’s done.”

Of course that stung but Regina was good at hiding pain and didn’t let it show.

“Well,” the principal began. “Henry has not done any of his homework for any of his classes.”

“Wait, what?” Emma questioned before looking accusingly at Regina. “You were meant to make sure he did it.”

“I sent him up to do it like me _and_ you do every evening,” Regina quickly argued back. “How was I supposed to know he wasn’t doing it? He’s usually really good about that kind of thing.”

“Yeah well maybe you’re not the best person to be looking after a child.”

Those words hurt so much she couldn’t hide the flinch. Emma didn’t seem to care, just looked back to the principal who was stood next to Henry awkwardly.

“What’s gonna happen now?”

“Well he will be excluded from today’s art class.”

“Oh come on,” Henry whined but Emma gave him a look that instantly shut him up.

“And he will not be allowed to participate in any extracurricular or none-academic class activities until the work is completed.”

“Right,” Emma nodded. “I’ll take him home now and make sure the work is done. Henry, come on.”

Henry got to his feet, putting his backpack on. Emma looked to Regina with a glare.

“Meet us back at the house.”

Emma took Henry’s hand and dragged him off, leaving Regina and the shocked principal to stare after them.

Regina didn’t know what was wrong but whatever it was couldn’t be anything good.

 

When Regina got home, she found Emma and Henry arguing on the stairs.

“I’m not lazy!”

“I didn’t say you were,” Emma huffed. “What I said was you didn’t do your homework. That’s a fact, Kid. You didn’t and I don’t care what excuse you have. School is the most important thing in your life right now and to be honest I wish I could say the same.”

Henry glared down at his mother from his spot above her.

“You don’t know anything!” he cried before running up the stairs. Emma sighed and put her head in her hands.

Regina approached her with a concerned frown.

“Are you okay?” she asked, only causing Emma to look up and glare at her.

“No, I’m not.”

“Don’t let him upset you. Like you always say, kids do a stupid things…”

“I’m upset with Henry, I’m mad at you!” Emma snapped at her.

“Me?” Regina questioned. “What have I done?”

At that, Emma laughed.

“What have you done? Oh I don’t know, maybe the fact you have fucking powers.”

Regina’s entire body tensed for a moment before she let out a nervous laugh.

“Emma, what do you mean?”

“No, don’t do that! Don’t make me think I’m crazy! I saw the goddamn tape!”

“What tape?” Regina questioned in a calm voice.

“The tape of YOU blasting Killian Jones into a bargain bin at our local fucking grocery store!”

Internally, Regina was in a panicking like crazy. Her heart was burning in her chest and she felt sick to her stomach. On the outside though, she stayed calm

 “Emma…”

“No, I don’t want to hear it.”

“Just please, let me explain,” Regina said slowly but Emma shook her head adamantly.

“I don’t want to hear you explanations! You lied to me!”

“Emma, please….”

“No.”

“Emma…”

“No!”

“Please, just talk to me,” Regina pleaded, struggling to keep her emotions, and tears, inside.

“I DON’T WANT TO TALK TO YOU,” Emma practically screamed. “YOU LIED TO ME!”

“WHAT WAS I MEANT TO DO?!” Regina cried. “Tell you I have powers? That magic is real? You’d have thought I was crazy and a freak!”

Emma laughed bitterly again.

“Yes I would have. It’s impossible, it’s crazy. If I hadn’t seen it on that tape, I wouldn’t have believed it but you know what? Once I did, a lot of things started to make sense. Stuff you’d said, things about you that didn’t match up. I thought I knew you but it turns out, not only did I let a stranger into my home.”

“But I’m not a stranger,” Regina insisted. “My…my magic is a part of me but it’s not who I am. You know _me_ , Emma.”

“Do I?” Emma questioned. “Because honestly I don’t think I do. You clouded my judgements but now I see that none of this adds up. How you somehow lost your memory, your office, your house, that guy going round town. That’s not normal but I thought it was, I don’t know, some _Mulholland Drive_ type shit. And I didn’t care because I was falling so hard for you and thought, you know what, I don’t care because it brought her to me and I’d always be thankful. Now I see all of it was a lie. I mean, is Regina Mills even your real name?”

“Emma, none of the matters,” Regina said in a desperate tone. “Me, I am real. This is the realist I’ve ever been. Our family is real, everything between us is real.”

“But it’s all built on a lie,” Emma spat back.

“But I didn’t _mean_ it to be,” Regina emphasised. “I got here and I didn’t know what was going on but I went along with it because I was scared and confused and I didn’t want to be alone. But everything that happened between us was real, the stuff that mattered were real. Just let me sit down and let me explain everything.”

“No,” Emma shook her head. “I don’t want to know.”

“Please, I can explain everything and then you’ll understand…”

“I don’t need to understand because it doesn’t matter. You think I’m going to let you anywhere near Henry now? I saw that tape, Regina. Your dangerous and the fact that you neglected to tell me this is the deepest betrayal. I invited you into my home and you knew by doing so I was putting my son in danger.”

“I didn’t know I had my magic at the time,” Regina tried to explain. “It happened a long while after and when I lost control with Killian, I was going to leave yet then I got control and I’m safe. I’m no danger to Henry.”

“But you did lose control again, didn’t you?” Emma snapped. “I put two and two together. You did something to Killian when he was at your office. What did you do, turn him into a frog?”

“Emma, you weren’t there he was so _awful_ and said the most revolting things. He pushed me too far and I hated him, I hated him so much. I’d never hurt either of you. I’d rather die than cause you harm. You’re my family.”

“No we’re not,” Emma told her. “And I don’t want you anywhere near Henry. You can go stay at my loft but I’d much rather you just leave town altogether.”

Regina stared at her with wide, tearful eyes. She always knew this moment would come but she didn’t know it would hurt so much.

“But…this…this is my house…”

“Really?” Emma raised her eyebrows. “You’re really gonna do that now?”

“Because I don’t want to leave!” Regina cried. “This is my home, you’re my home.”

Emma just reached into her pocket and took out her keys, taking a key off the ring.

“Here, take my key. Just go, I can’t even look at you right now.”

Regina couldn’t keep it together anymore, she collapsed to her knees, tears streaming down her face.

“Please, Emma,” she sobbed. “Please don’t do this.”

“Regina,” Emma sighed. “Don’t make this even harder. Just please go.”

“No Emma please,” she cried desperately. “Just listen to me. Please…I…I love you.”

Emma stared down at her with an unreadable expression. After a few moments, she opened her mouth to reply. Yet before she could, the front door burst open and a number of figures wearing heavy armour charged in and surrounded them.

Out of instinct, Emma reached for the service weapon on her hip but Regina quickly stopped her. She’d recognise that armour anywhere.

Two more people entered the house, both of them looking at the former queen with a frown.

“Regina?” Snow questioned in disbelief. “Is that really you?”


	25. You Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for the comments and kudos! Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

Regina stared at her for a few moments before she burst out laughing.

“Regina?” Snow frowned while David reached for his sword.

“What’s so funny?” he demanded.

“Nothing,” Regina laughed. “Just wondering if this could get any worse.”

“This is no laughing matter,” David snapped at her. “Now get to your feet.”

Regina sighed and got to her feet, whipping the tears from her face and quickly composing herself.

“Snow, David, what an unpleasant surprise.”

“I see you are adjusting well to your banishment,” Snow noted as she looking around. “Even if you are living in modest lodgings.”

Regina narrowed her eyes at her once step-daughter.

“Let’s skip the small talk and get straight to the part where you tell me what you want from me.”

Snow and David shared a look before the new queen cleared her throat.

“We need your help,” she told her, making Regina roll her eyes.

“Yes, I guessed that. Just cut to it, Snow. I have my own problems to deal with.”

“Well, you see, when you left, something happened,” Snow began to explain. “Rumpelstiltskin tricked us.”

At that, Regina laughed again.

“My dear Snow, you should have seen that coming a mile away. He’s basically the king of tricksters.”

“No, I mean he tricked you too,” Snow told her and Regina heart dropped.

“What? How?”

Regina instantly began to worry. Had he planned for her to come here? Did he want something from her now? Would he hurt Henry? Would he hurt Emma?

“Now Regina, you have to answer honestly,” Snow said in a deadly serious tone. “Before you married my farther, did you push your mother through a mirror?”

“What?” Regina frowned. “I did but how could you possibly know that?”

“Because Rumpelstiltskin put another curse on it. When you pushed your mother through the mirror, you were both cursed. As long as you were in our world, she could never come back. Yet, when we sent you here…”

“She was able to come back,” Regina finished before pinching the bridge of her nose. “For fuck sake.”

“So we need you to return,” Snow told her. “Both she and Rumpelstiltskin want to take over the kingdom and, although we are putting up a good fight, there is no way we can defeat them both. They are far too powerful.”

“And let me guess, you want me to come help?”

“In exchange for your banishment being lifted,” Snow replied with a nod.

Regina pretended to think it over before shaking her head.

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Regina,” Snow gasped. “People are suffering.”

“That’s your problem, after all you’re their queen. I’m just the scary story parents tell their children to keep them in bed at night.”

“But we are offering you a chance to come home. Don’t you want that?”

“That place was never my home,” Regina replied. “You made sure of that.”

“And this strange place is?” Snow questioned.

Regina glanced at Emma for the first time since she told her those special three words. She looked confused, watching the guards with wide eyes as her hand hovered over her gun. They met another’s gaze for a mere moment before Emma looked away.

“I don’t know,” she shrugged. “But I’d rather be in a world where I’m not seen as a monster.”

“You brought that on yourself,” David spoke up. “And you owe these people after the years of hardship you put them through.”

“And I’ve paid that debt,” Regina snapped back. “You locked me up for months and banished me. I lost my father too, or have you forgotten how your soldiers slaughtered an old man.”

Snow and David shared a look again before the new queen cleared her throat.

“Regina, I have something to admit…”

“What? That you’re an idiot? I’ve known that for a long time, dear.”

When David didn’t bite back, she realised whatever Snow was about to say was serious. Well whether it actually was could be debated but it seemed important to the two idiots.

“No, Regina…we thought we were doing the right thing for the kingdom. It has been a great weight on my heart but I had to think of my people first, you must understand that.”

Regina sighed and rolled her eyes.

“Out with it, Snow.”

Snow took in a nervous breath before answering.

“I lied to you, your father never died. And now your mother has him hostage.”


	26. Rolling in the Deep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all the comments and kudos! Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

“You….IDIOT!”

A fireball formed in Regina’s hand as she charged towards Snow. David instantly jumped between them and all the knights drew their swords.

“Regina, don’t do something you’ll later regret,” David warned her but Regina just laughed in his face.

“Regret? Oh I’d never regret this, in fact I wish I’d done it years ago.”

“I thought I was doing the right thing,” Snow pleaded with her. “I thought it would be kinder for everyone.”

“Yes well clearly thought wrong,” Regina hissed back.

“I never meant to hurt you, ever. What happened with Daniel…”

“DON’T YOU SAY HIS NAME!”

“Regina, just listen to me. Daniel was my fault, I admit that but I was a child and….”

That pushed Regina over the edge, she blasted David aside and send a wave of magic round the circle of knights, knocking them down like dominos. She moved to a now defenceless Snow, the fire burning in her hand.

BANG, BANG, BANG.

Regina instantly stopped and turned round.

Emma was holding up her smocking gun and dust-like plaster glided down and landed in her hair. Regina looked above the sheriff’s head and saw three bullet holes.

“Now that I have everyone’s attention,” Emma spoke up. “Who wants to tell me what the fuck is going on?”

The knights got to their feet and edged towards Emma, swords raised.

“You touch her and I’ll turn you all to dust!” Regina barked, making them all take a step back.

“Stand down,” Snow ordered from behind and the knights sheathed their swords as they took another step back.

Regina looked at her maybe now ex-girlfriend with wide eyes.

“Emma!”

“Regina, we are not going to argue about your ceiling right now.”

“No Emma, Henry’s upstairs.”

“He’s fine,” Emma waved her off.

“But how do you know?!”

“Because I can see him there on the stairs.”

Regina followed Emma’s gaze and sure enough, there was Henry, his little face watching them through the banister. He quickly ducked back but his scruffy brown hair could still be seen.

“Kid, come down here,” Emma sighed and Henry did as he was told. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, Regina realised he was holding something close to his chest. Emma noticed also as she moved towards him and snatched it out of his hands.

“Where the hell did you get this?!” she demanded. “This is stolen police evidence, Henry!”

“I didn’t steal it,” Henry shrugged. “I found it on my bed.”

“And you didn’t tell me?!”

“Because I knew you’d be mean and take it off me!” Henry snapped back. “And I need it!”

Emma rolled her eyes.

“Why do you need it, Kid? It’s a stupid fairy-tale book. I thought you didn’t like silly stories like this?”

“It’s not stupid!” Henry cried defensively. “And they’re not stories, they’re real!”

“No their not,” Emma told him with a hint of a laugh. “Henry, you’re just messing around, right?”

Henry, however, did not laugh along and instead shot her a glare.

“I hate you!” he cried before running to Regina, clinging to her for dear life.

Regina quickly wrapped her arms around him protectively.

Emma opened her mouth to say something but when no words seem to come she shut it and shook her head.

“Okay, my head feels like it’s gonna explode so can someone explain what’s going on.”

Henry pulled out of Regina’s embrace, turning to face his mother.

“They are Snow White and Prince Charming,” he said, pointing to Snow and David, who looked at him in surprise, as Regina also did. “They’re king and queen in a place called the Enchanted Forest, a world were fairy tales are real.”

“Seriously?” Emma questioned with a raised eyebrow. “Kid, how can you even know this?”

“It’s in the book,” he said, pointing to the book in his mother’s hand. “It explains everything.”

Emma sighed before looking to Regina with narrow eyes.

“Let me guess, this is where you got these powers from?”

Regina could tell Emma was being slightly sarcastic but still answered honestly.

“Yes it is,” she nodded and Emma’s eyes went wide.

“Wait what? You’re serious?”

“Yes, I am,” Regina replied with a slight laugh. “Why are you so surprised? You know I have magic?”

“Yeah but I thought it was some kind of _X Men_ thing!”

“Emma, that’s a film.”

“So is all this!”

Regina sighed and changed the conversation, looking to Snow.

“How did you get here anyway? Since you obviously didn’t have the Dark One’s help.”

“The Blue Fairy searched the entire land and found the final magic bean plant. We are so lucky that we found you on the first try.”

“Oh yes, lucky me,” Regina replied, cursing that stupid flying jellyfish. “But how did you find me here, at this house? Please say you didn’t go knocking door to door.”

“No of course not,” Snow said with a giggle. “We had Blue use a tracking spell.”

“But you’d need something I own to do that?”

“Yes we did,” Snow nodded before looking behind her through the open door. Regina followed her gaze and grinned when she saw who stood beyond the garden fence.

“Rocinante!”

“Yes, it wasn’t easy getting a horse through a portal, believe me,” David said with a chuckle. “Luckily he is a well-mannered beast.”

“Now you can see what trouble we went through to find you,” Snow added, at which Regina rolled her eyes.

“My horse is not trouble.”

Henry was looking at Rocinate in awe.

“Regina can I ride your horse?!”

“When the time is right and your mother allows it, of course.”

Henry grinned and hugged her again.

“Wait, wait, wait,” Emma spoke up. “So if she’d Snow White and he’s Prince Charming, then who are you?”

Regina instantly tensed. It seemed stupid since Emma already hated her and knew she had her magic, but she couldn’t say the words.

Then someone beat her to it.

“She’s the Evil Queen,” Henry replied for her, looking up at Regina with his big green eyes. “She was broken and we fixed her, Mom. Now she has to become a hero.”


	27. Riptide

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for the comments and kudos! Sorry for the wait on this chapter- weekends totally throw me off track. Also, I wanna disclaim that I know nothing about caring for horses and I've googled how for this fic but if I get anything wrong, I'm sorry. Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

The knights left to stand outside and Rocinate was moved to the backyard. David and Snow sat awkwardly on the couch while Henry had her face pressed against the window as he watched Rocinate eat his way through the flowerbeds. Emma stood in the corner, deep in thought.

Regina entered and gave the tow idiots some tea. They looked at the cups suspiciously and the former queen rolled her eyes.

“For goodness sake, I haven’t poisoned it.”

“How do we know that?” David shot back but instead of arguing, Regina held her hands up in defeat.

“Drink it or don’t drink it, I couldn’t care less to be quite honest.”

She moved over to Emma and smiled at her fondly.

“Are you sure you don’t want anything, Emma?”

Emma shook her head, still deep in her thoughts.

Regina nodded and moved over to Henry.

“What are you watching?”

“The horse is eating your flowers. I think he’s hungry.”

Regina nodded in agreement and unfortunately her lawn was cut too short for him to graze properly.

“Why don’t you get those cut up apples from the fridge for him? Do you know how to feed a horse?”

“Duh,” Henry replied before running out of the room. Regina looked to Emma who nodded.

“There’s a stable in town and I used to take him to see the horses. He knows what he’s doing.”

Regina was still sceptical but she watched out of the window as Henry, holding the bowl of cut up apples Regina had been planning to make a dessert out of, towards the horse. Luckily, after years of cutting up Rocinante’s apples, she’d instinctively cut them to the right size for feeding.

She watched the scene closely as Henry held the large stirring bowl just right so that Rocinante could get at it, smiling as her horse chomped away happily with the help of the boy she’d come to love so much. Seeing them both together warmed her heart, if only Emma and her father were also there then all the people she loved would be in the happy scene.

But her father was in the clutches of her mother and Emma was still trying to process everything.

“So,” Regina spoke up, tearing herself away from the scene when she noticed Emma taking up watch from the other window, instead facing the young rulers. “You want me to come back with you, defeat my mother, save the kingdom from the dark one, and then I can come back?”

“If you wish,” Snow nodded before giving Emma a sideways glance. “Or if you’d like, we could find you a remote castle were you and your father can stay. As long as you promise not to cause any trouble.”

“I wasn’t the one who caused…” Regina quickly stopped herself and took a deep breath. “I want guarantees that no matter how this goes, I’m going to be able to get back here. And I want to make it clear that the only reason I’m even considering helping you is because my father is involved. Any plan that puts him in danger I’m immediately vetoing it. Any of your goons hurt him, and I’m your enemy again. Understand?”

“That seems fair,” Snow nodded. “We actually had a plan in case you had found you happy ending.”

“You did?” Regina asked in surprise.

“Yes,” Snow nodded. “I was optimistic.”

Regina didn’t know whether to be flattered or annoyed.

“Okay the, what’s your plan?”

Snow looked to David who nodded encouragingly.

“Well I thought that the best way to do this would be that you and David go back to home while I stay and protect your happy ending, in whatever form that may be.”

“What?” both Regina and Emma said in unison.

“I don’t need babysitting,” Emma snapped.

“And like hell I’d ever trust you with anything,” Regina added. “Not after the last time.”

Snow sighed and sat up in her seat.

“Regina, you and I could never work together. There’s too much bad blood between us and we can’t trust each other even if we really tried.”

She had a point. Regina couldn’t even trust Snow as far as she could throw her. Sure she could probably blast her to the other side of town…wow that was suddenly tempting.

Regina nodded, showing her understanding, and Snow continued.

“But what you know is that I love David with all my heart, and my friends. They are my happy ending and it’ll hurt every moment I’m not there with them, like you would not being here. Now I can see that you’ve found happiness here, a family if I dare say. So, if we can agree, I’ll protect your happy ending if you do the same for mine.”

Regina wanted to say no with every fibre in her being, to stay in this strange world she had come to love. Yet she also loved her father and she’d never be happy knowing she didn’t do her best to save him.

So she nodded and held out her hand.

Snow smiled and got to her feet, about to shake her hand when Emma’s voice stopped her.

“No.”

“Emma?” Regina frowned.

“No,” Emma repeated. “Just no. No to all of this. Regina, you can’t…no!”

“Emma…” Regina began but Emma shook her head adamantly.

“No, you can’t do this! It sounds dangerous and I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“You could die!”

“I’m not going to die,” Regina assured her. “I can deal with my mother.”

“But what if you can’t?” Emma argued. “What if something happens to you? What happens then? What do I do? What do I tell Henry? He loves you!”

“And I love him,” Regina replied, moving over to stand before Emma. “I love him and you so much. But I also love my father and I can’t let him suffer, especially when it’s partly my fault.”

Emma looked like she was going to argue but she didn’t, instead she straightened up and folded her arms.

“Then I’m coming with you.”

“What? Emma, you can’t.”

“I can,” Emma said adamantly. “And I will.”

“But what about Henry?” Regina argued. “Like you said, this could be dangerous. Fair enough if he loses me but you’re his mother. He needs you here and I need to know you are both safe so I can concentrate on what I have to do. And…I also think we need some space. I’ve betrayed your trust and, even though I wish it could, that isn’t going to heal overnight. Right now, I need to go and you…you need to stay.”

Emma stormed out of the room without another word and Regina watched her go, a single tera trailing down her cheek.

It wasn’t easy saying those words. It felt like someone had ripped her heart out of her chest. But they needed to be said, for all their sakes.

Regina quickly wiped the tear away and cleared her throat, composing herself before she looked to Snow once more. She held her hand out to her former step-daughter who didn’t hesitate in shaking it.

“We have a deal?” Snow asked and Regina nodded.

“Yes, we have a deal.”


	28. Too Good and Goodbyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all the comments and kudos! Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

She’d insisted they do it on the edge of town so no one would see them. Snow had wanted to do it in her house but Regina didn’t want her home to become a wreck, especially if Emma and Henry were going to stay there. So the road leading out of town was where they agreed.

It was just her, Snow, and David. Emma refused to even acknowledge them and rightly so she and Henry came as a package deal. Though Regina would have wished for a proper goodbye, in a way she was glad they weren’t there. As, if they were, she may just be persuaded to stay.

“So, what’s the plan with these magic beans?” she asked the two idiots, trying not to think about the Swans anymore.

“We’ve brought four,” Snow replied, pulling a small pouch from her coat. “Two for you to take and two to stay here.”

Regina rolled her eyes.

“That seems overly complicated.”

“It’s just in case,” David shrugged. “And we have plenty.”

“Oh course you do,” Regina sighed. Though David tested her patience, she was glad she wouldn’t have to deal with the two of them for much longer. Sure they were both idiots in their own right but together the idiocy seemed to intensify.

She looked to Snow, adopting a stance that she knew made her look taller and more intimidating.

“You’d better make sure Emma and Henry are safe and that Rocinante is properly cared for. If I come back and find that they have been hurt in any way, I’ll not hesitate in crushing you heart in my hand.”

“You have my word they will be perfectly fine,” Snow quickly assured her. “As long as you keep my true love safe.”

Regina looked to David passively.

“I think I can manage that.”

Snow smiled before pulling Regina into a hug.

“Please save my kingdom,” she whispered and, despite the temptation to mock her, Regina nodded.

“I’ll try my very best,” she replied before quickly pulling out of her grip.

Snow smiled at her one last time before launching herself into David’s arms.

“My love, I’ll miss you terribly.”

“As will I,” David replied. “My heart will ache with every moment we are apart.”

The pair dived right in to an intense and passionate kiss.

Regina rolled her eyes. _Idiots._

“Regina!”

Hearing her name, Regina looked round in surprise to see Henry running towards her. Looking beyond, she saw the bug parked a small distance away as Emma followed her son towards them.

She had very little time to react before Henry ran straight into her, almost knocking her off balance as he held on to her tightly.

“Careful, Henry,” she laughed, wrapping her arms around him. Yet Henry didn’t laugh, he cried. “Henry, what’s wrong?”

“I don’t want you to go,” he mumbled. “I’ll miss you.”

Regina pulled Henry from her and kneeled in front of him so they could talk face to face.

“I’ll miss you too, terribly so,” she told him. “But I have to go.”

“I know,” he replied with a sniffle. “I just don’t want anything to change. I want everything to go back to how it was yesterday.”

“So do I,” Regina nodded. “And it will, when I get home. We’ll be happy and we’ll go horse-riding and go on loads of exciting adventures.”

“I could come now!” Henry suggested, excitedly jumping up and down. “I could be a knight and we could save your dad and then we’d live happily ever after!”

“No, no, no, you’re staying here,” she told him and instantly felt bad when he pouted. So she improvised. “You need to look after your mom. That’s your job, no, your duty. I, Queen Regina, knight thee, Henry Swan, as the protector of mothers.”

Henry puffed out his chest with pride.

“I will do my best,” he promised and Regina couldn’t help but laugh at how adorable he was.

“I trust that you will.”

Henry pulled his backpack off and zipped it open, pulling out a large walkie-talkie.

“Graham gave me these ages ago,” he told her. “There are two, this one and the one back home. When you get back, press the button and speak into it. Then I’ll know that you’re back.”

“Thank you, Henry,” she smiled, taking the device gratefully. Henry smiled back before hugging her again.

“I love you, Regina.”

“I love you too,” Regina replied, holding him close. They stayed like that for a while before Henry pulled away.

“I think you need to talk to Mom now,” he said before stepping aside.

Regina stood back up and looked at Emma, who walked slowly forward with her hands awkwardly in her pockets.

“Thanks for bringing Henry,” Regina said to her, taking the first step. “It means a lot.”

“Did you really think we’d let you go without saying goodbye?” Emma questioned with a raised eyebrow and a small smirk. “You clearly don’t know us Swans very well.”

“I do,” Regina assured her. “And also I know I’ve hurt you.”

“Well you were right. We need some space. Sure I wish it was just us living apart rather than you travelling to another dimension and getting into danger. But still, nothing’s perfect.”

“That’s very true,” Regina chuckled. “So I guess it’s goodbye for now then.”

“Yes, as long as it is just for now.”

“I promise you it is,” she assured her. “No matter what happens, I’ll find my way back to you both.”

Emma wiped a tear from her cheek before moving forward and pulling Regina into a tight embrace.

“I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too.”

Emma pulled away and put her hands in her pockets again.

“Stay safe,” she said before moving away to stand behind Henry, putting her hands on his shoulders as they both watched Regina walk towards the two lovebirds.

“We ready?” she asked Charming, who nodded. He kissed Snow one last time before joining Regina in walking towards the ‘leaving town’ sign.

“Here,” he said, handing her the magic bean. “You do the honours.”

Regina looked back to where Snow had moved to join Henry and Emma. She didn’t want to go.

Still she enacted the bean and a portal opened. Without looking back, they bother stepped through the portal.

 

When the portal disappeared, Emma’s heartache worsened.

Regina was gone. Gone somewhere where she couldn’t follow.

She felt Snow White putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t worry,” she told her. “Regina is strong and very hard to defeat. Trust me, I know.”

“But _you_ did defeat her,” Emma pointed out. “So it can be done.”

“That was different.”

“How?” the sheriff frowned and a small smile appeared on Snow’s face.

“Because now she’s not a villain. She’s going to be a hero and heroes always win.”

Emma looked back to the spot were moments ago Regina had stood, now empty with no trace she’d even been there.

“I hope you're right.”


	29. Six Degrees of Seperation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all the great comments and kudos! Again, I own nothing and my grammar suck. Hope you all enjoy!

“The Evil Queen!”

Regina rolled her eyes. They’d literally only arrived moments ago and instantly Snow’s legion of idiots had arrived.

“You knew I was coming,” she snapped at the dwarf in question. “Why are you making a scene?”

“She’s as vicious as ever!”

Regina shook her head in disbelief. She was already done with this realm.

“Regina is here to help,” David told them all. “She’s promised to help defeat her mother and swears she won’t harm any of us.”

“Well, I never said _that_ ,” Regina interrupted, earning a glare from Prince Charming.

“She’s committed to our cause and will do all she can to end this conflict. In exchange, we will let her go back to the realm we found her in with a full royal pardon.”

“What?!” the scowling dwarf cried in anger. “She’s a murderer!”

“And where is now?!” the red-hooded wolf demanded. “Did she do something to her?!”

“Snow is back in this other realm,” David told them. “And I think the terms are fair considering we have no chance of defeating the Dark One and Lady Cora without her.”

“Why did Snow stay behind?” another dwarf questioned. “Did something happen?”

David took a deep breath before replying.

“She’s stayed to protect Regina’s happy ending.”

There was a moment of silence before the room burst into laughter.

“Yeah right,” one of the dwarfs chuckled. “Like the Evil Queen would find a happy ending.”

Regina wanted to throttle him. She wanted to throttle them all.

“She has,” David spoke up. “I’ve seen it with my own two eyes.”

“Then they must be as evil as she is,” the wolf and that made Regina snap, making her charge forward.

“Don’t you EVER speak of them like that!”

“Oh yeah?” the wolf challenged her, taking a step forward. “What you gonna do about it?”

Regina laughed and lifted her hand. David instantly grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

“No!” he told her. “No taking hearts!”

“I’m not a dog!” she napped, yanking her arms away. “And I wasn’t going to take her heart. I was going to turn her into a frog.”

“Well don’t do that either!” he shot back. “A guest room has been made for you in the east tower. Go freshen up while I speak to my friends.”

Regina rolled her eyes yet did as he instructed, not wanting to stay with those imbeciles a moment longer.

She knew her way around the castle, having visited King George many times as they worked together to bring down Snow and Charming. They were both defeated but at least she didn’t run away like a coward.

Finding the room, she locked the door and went to sit on the bed. It was likely one of the best in the kingdom but to her it was terribly uncomfortable. After sleeping on her bed in Storybrooke, in her big house with Emma and Henry.

Recahing into her coat pocket, she pulled out her phone. She had 60% battery left so she knew she’d have to conserve the battery but for now she tapped on her camera roll. Scrolling through, she smiled at the pictures of her beautiful family.

Soon she found her favourite photo- a selfie of her, Emma, and Henry when they’d had a pyjama day one Sunday. It wasn’t an exciting day but it was one of her happiest, a day she now held close to her heart.

Turning off her phone and setting it aside, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the tiny walkie-talkie she’d shrunk down for transport. Undoing the magic, she studied the device before pressing the button as Henry told her to and speaking into it.

“Henry, are you there?”

She waited and all that returned was static.

Regina sighed and turned it off, putting it with her phone before laying back on the bed.

She knew it wouldn’t work but, for a single moment, she’d still had the smallest glimmer of hope.

 

Henry watched as Snow White swanned around Regina’s house like she owned it. She’d moved into her room even though his mom told her she should really take the other guest room. Then she’d made his mom make her food and wouldn’t let him watch TV because it ‘scared her’. Regina was never scared of the TV so he didn’t buy the whole ‘she’s from a different world’ speech his mom gave him.

He didn’t get why his mom was being so nice to her. Sure she was a guest but she was being rude and annoying. If it was up to him, Henry would have thrown her out as soon as she started giving orders.

It was during dinner that he snapped.

“I love your name, Emma.”

“Thanks,” his mom replied as she picked at her chicken. She was pretty down, probably missing Regina as much as he did.

“Why did you call Henry his name?”

“Why?” his mom frowned. “I don’t know. I was talking to someone in the hospital when I had him and it came up. The name just felt, I don’t know, right.”

“Do you know Regina’s father is called Henry?”

“She’s mentioned it.”

Snow White smiled sadly.

“He’s a sweet man, not very strong willed. He was unable to stand up to Regina’s mother. That’s likely why Regina is how she is.”

“What do you mean by that?” Henry questioned. “Regina’s great.”

Snow let out a small chuckle.

“Oh my dear boy, you don’t know Regina like I do. I mean I’m grateful for her help and glad that she found happiness but she is far from great.”

“I prefer her to you,” Henry snapped back, making the woman gasp.

“ _Henry,”_ his mother said warningly.

“Oh Henry please don’t say that,” Snow cried dramatically. “I love children, unlike Regina. I should know, she was my step-mother.”

“Maybe she didn’t like _you_ ,” Henry replied. “And I don’t either.”

“Henry!” his mom snapped. “Stop being rude!”

“But she’s being rude, Mom! She’s been rude since she got here! I don’t want her here with us, I want Regina!”

It was then Snow White burst into tears. It was over-dramatic and Henry couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

“Henry, go to your room!”

“What?! I didn’t do anything!”

“Room NOW!”

Henry huffed and stormed upstairs. He didn’t get why his mom was being like this. She didn’t seem to like Snow much either. Adults were always weird about that stuff though. Sure his mom usually told people how it was but sometimes she just let it go. Then when he’d step up, he’d get told off. It was totally unfair.

He marched into his room and slammed the door behind him. Jumping onto his bed, he got his tablet out from the draw of his nightstand. He looked through the photographs of him and Regina. They’d always taken selfies pulling funny faces, sometimes with his mom but a lot of the time just them too.

Henry smiled sadly. It had only been a few hours but he missed Regina terribly. He hoped she wouldn’t be gone for long, that they could be a family again sooner rather than later.

It was then he heard a noise, like static. Looking over, he realised it was coming from the walkie-talkie on his desk.

Jumping off the bed, he dived for the walkie-talkie and pressed down the speak button.

“Regina? Regina, are you there?”

The static continued and then it stopped.

Henry sighed and set it back on the desk again. Moving over to his window, he looked up at the night sky. He wondered if Regina was looking up at a familiar sky in the other realm, whether she was thinking of them too and missed them as much as they did her.

“Come home, Regina,” he whispered. “Come home or I’ll have to come find you.”


	30. In a Week

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all the comments and kudos! I'm sorry this is late and I apologise ahead in case of any other delays as I'm starting uni again. I'll try to keep up with my updates as much as I can so if I fall behind feel free to tell me off in he comments ;) Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

Nearly a week had gone by and Regina had not yet returned.

Leaving Snow White at home and dropping Henry off at school, Emma decided to stop by the stables before she went to work.

In all honesty, she was glad to cut a break. Work was stressing her out and being at home wasn’t any better. Henry had been in a constant mood since Regina left and spent most of his time in his room. She’d tried to speak to him but it was like talking to a brick wall. In fact the only time he’d speak to her was when they were talking about Regina and that always led to an argument in the end.

As for Snow White, well she was even more insufferable than the cartoon version. She was extremely fussy and cried _all the time_. If it weren’t for the fact that the woman had nowhere else to go, she’d have probably thrown her out after the first day.

Walking by the stable doors, smiling fondly at each horse as she passed, she eventually found the one she was looking for.

“Hey there, buddy,” she greeted Rocinante, petting his nose. “How you liking your new digs? Pretty snazzy, huh?”

The horse just looked at her blankly. Emma felt sorry for him. Sure he was well-kept and healthy but he looked sad, something she could relate to.

“I get it, buddy,” she told him. “I miss her too.”

She’d wanted to come as often as she could and felt bad this was her first time visiting since moving him in. It was important to her that Rocinante felt comfortable around her. From all of what Regina had told her, she knew how much this horse meant to her so she wanted to make sure he was okay while she was away. Plus she wanted to get to know her rival to Regina’s affection. Looking at him close up, she understood how Regina became so besotted with him.

“You’re pretty handsome, huh?” Emma laughed. “Not as handsome as me but we’re close.”

Rocinante made a noise that Emma figured was horse for _‘gurl please’._

“Oh yeah? Well why don’t we wait till Regina gets back and let her decide? And you better be worried. Sure you’re pretty cute but so am I and I give great foot rubs.”

 Rocinante made another noise in reply.

“Okay, Mr Sassy.”

“You do know you’re arguing with a horse, right?”

Emma instantly whirled round and saw a man stood at the other end of the stables. The man who’d been stalking Regina since she came to town, or rather this realm.

“What the hell do you want?” she demanded, reaching for her gun. He quickly held his hands up defensively.

“Hey, I’m only here to give you a word of advice.”

“I don’t wanna hear anything you have to say,” Emma snapped but he said it anyway.

“Don’t judge Snow White,” he told her. “She’s not quite herself.”

“What do you mean?” Emma frowned but the man just walked away, going round the corner out of sight. She chased after him but by the time she turned the corner, she found no one there.

He’d just disappeared.

 

**Meanwhile, in the Enchanted Forest….**

“I’ve been here a week and we haven’t even left the castle,” Regina huffed as she stood before the table in the war room. “I’ve been very patient so far but that is beginning to wear thin. Now you either come up with a plan by this evening or I’m taking charge.”

“You’re not queen anymore, Regina,” David reminded her, as he had at every opportunity for the last week. “But if you have any ideas, please share.”

“Alright then,” she said, regarding the room with her head held high. “You say my mother has taken over my old castle so I suggest we go straight to her.”

“That’s suicide!” one of the dwarves cried. “She’ll kill us all!”

“Not if she doesn’t see us coming,” Regina replied, making the moody dwarf scoff.

“She’s speaking in riddles.”

Regina rolled her eyes. She was surrounded by idiots.

“We should let her explain,” the annoying insect spoke up as it buzzed towards her. “Please elaborate, Regina.”

“There’s a tunnel,” she explained. “I had it installed after the king died. It’s how I escaped when your forces approached the castle. The only people who know about it are me and the soldiers you killed when capturing me. You can sneak in through there and attack from the inside.”

“ _We can_?” Red frowned. “What about you?”

“I’ll be walking through the front door,” Regina replied. “I’ll be the distraction.”

Everyone in the room looked at each other, muttering and mumbling between them. Regina sighed and put her hands on her hips.

“Okay, what’s the problem? Because I know you aren’t concerned about my safety.”

“We’re concerned you’re playing us,” the old woman who hung around Red spoke up. “After all, she is your mother and the apple certainly didn’t fall far from the tree.”

At that, Regina chuckled.

“There is only one person I hate more that Snow White,” she told them. “And that is my mother.”


	31. Getting to Know You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all the comments and kudos! Again, I own nothing and mu grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

Regina was ready and waiting in the courtyard the next morning at the time agreed. Was anyone else ready? _Nope._

Everyone else was fussing about things that were totally unnecessary. Things that they didn’t need like brews of tea and a ridiculous amount of clothes. All she had was a small truck she’d turned into a small travel pouch and that was all she needed. She’d even offered to use her magic to help them but they’d all accused her of trying to curse them so just went outside.

Loitering in the courtyard, she brushed her new horse. David had let her pick one from the stable. He was jet black, extremely beautiful and had a similar build to Rocinante.

“You ready to go on an adventure?”

The horse of course didn’t reply but, from what he could tell, he was just happy to be pampered.

“Why are you talking to a horse?”

Regina looked down in surprise to see a young boy. Maybe a few years younger than Henry, he had messy red hair and someone had dressed him like a puppet.

“Why not?” Regina replied. “He’s my new friend.”

“Yeah but he doesn’t understand you,” the boy argued. “He only understands horse language.”

“I’ve learnt from experience that, even if you can’t understand what’s being said, it’s always comforting to hear a friendly voice.”

The boy shrugged before squinting up at the horse.

“What’s his name?”

“Ozzy,” Regina replied, making the boy frown.

“Why’d you name him that?”

“Because it’s the name of a musician my girlfriend likes.”

“What’s a girlfriend?”

Regina chuckled. Like Henry, this boy was full of questions.

“Something you don’t need to worry about right now, or ever really.”

The boy shrugged again.

“What’s your name?”

“Regina,” she replied. She’d guessed the boy had no idea who she was, helped by the fact she wasn’t wearing her usual ‘evil queen’ attire, deciding to go with a riding outfit similar to those she had in her youth. Braiding her hair like she’d always done, she almost looked exactly like she had before it all happened, only much more broken.

Even from her name, he didn’t seem to realise. The main clue being he didn’t run away screaming in fear. Instead, he introduced himself.

“I’m Pinocchio.”

“Pinocchio?” Regina questioned, the name sounding familiar. After a moment of thought, she remembered. “You’re the boy who used to be made of wood.”

“Yep,” Pinocchio said proudly. “But I’m a real boy now.”

“That you are,” Regina nodded. “Pleasure to meet you, young man.”

“You too,” he smiled back. “Where are you going?”

“Away,” she answered. “Hopefully not for long.”

“Is the king going?”

“He is,” Regina replied without thinking before hesitating, looking down at the boy suspiciously. “You’d better not be a spy.”

“I promise I’m not,” the boy insisted and Regina believed him. She’d had enough spies in her court to know when someone wasn’t right. Still, she continued to tease him.

“You ask a lot of questions for someone who isn’t a spy.”

“I won’t ask you a question ever again,” he swore, making Regina chuckle.

“I’m only teasing,” Regina told him. “You know, you remind me of someone I know. He’s a few years older than you though.”

“Who?” he asked before realising what he’d done. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay, I was only joking. His name is Henry.”

“Is he your son?”

Regina smiled sadly at that.

“No, as much as I’d love him to be. Maybe one day.”

“Where is he?”

“A long way away,” she answered. “But I hope to see him again soon.”

Pinocchio nodded in understanding.

“I should head inside. My father will be looking for me.”

“That he will,” Regina agreed. “It was nice to meet you, young man.”

“You too, Regina,” he replied before waving at the horse. “Bye Ozzy.”

Regina watched the boy run back inside the castle before looking back to Ozzy.

“Just the two of us again.”

She waited what felt like hours for David and his gang of idiots to appear, even longer to get all their horses ready.

“Will you all hurry up,” she huffed. “I have a family to get back to.”

“Shut up,” Red snapped at her. “You’re not in charge here.”

“Leave it, Red,” David told her. “Regina has a point. We’ve wasted a lot of time and I understand why she wants to get this done as soon as possible. Not only do I want these troubles over with minimal suffering but I also want my wife back. Now let’s go and waste no more valuable moments.”

No one argued, getting on their horses and, with David and Regina in the lead, they left the castle and began their journey.

“Thank you,” Regina spoke up, swallowing her pride. “I just want to get back to them as soon as possible. Being away from them it’s like my….” she struggled to find the words to describe how she felt.

“Like your heart hurts?” David questioned and Regina nodded.

“Yes, it hurts so much.”

David nodded in understanding.

“Mine does too.”

Silence fell between them again for a while until David spoke up this time.

“Do you like your horse?”

“I do,” Regina nodded. “He’s lovely.”

“Have you named him?”

“I have,” Regina nodded. “Ozzy.”

“Ozzy?” David frowned. “Why?”

Regina chuckled at the thought.

“It’s what Emma would name him.”

As the castle became smaller and smaller behind them, Regina daydreamed beyond their destination. To a faraway land and a strange little town. A white mansion with a curling staircase were she hoped she’d soon return. A place where she was and could be happy with the boy she loved s though he was her own and the woman she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.


	32. Words of Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all the comments and kudos! Sorry this is a late update again. I'm trying to be more organised but so far it's not been successful :/ Again, I won nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

It was two days ride to the castle and once the turrets became visible in the distance, Regina let out a sigh of relief. The sooner she got away from these people the better and she was certainly missing indoor plumbing.

Red kept glaring at her and the dwarves took every opportunity to snap at her. The old woman was the worst though, always pointing her cross-bow at her. David was surprisingly the most bearable, something she’d never thought would be the case.

“So where’s this tunnel then?” the moody dwarf questioned. “Or were you lying about that?”

Regina rolled her eyes.

“Just follow me.”

“Can’t believe our plan is to follow the Evil Queen,” Red muttered bitterly behind her. “She could be leading us into a trap.”

“For fuck sake, will you stop it,” Regina snapped at her. “You sound like a broken record.”

“She’s talking in riddles again,” one of the dwarves huffed.

“It’s not a riddle, it’s a spell!” another cried. “She’s trying to kill us.”

“Enough,” David barked. “I’m sick of all this bickering.”

“Then with all due respect your majesty, don’t invite the Evil Queen on a mission,” Red argued back. “No one trusts her and we’re not willing to put our lives in the hands of the woman who not so long ago wanted to take them.”

“Snow trusted her and, believe it or not, Regina has as much to lose as all of us. She has a family like the rest of us and wants to keep us safe.”

“Yeah well I don’t believe her,” Red replied. “I mean, did you really meet these people, David? I just can’t believe this woman even has a heart yet alone enough of one to genuinely care for people.”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” Regina answered her. “My problem never was I didn’t care it was that I cared way too much.”

A rumble of laughter rang through the small group.

“Oh please,” the moody dwarf scoffed. “What’s this man’s name then if he does exist?”

“Woman,” Regina corrected him. “And her name is Emma.”

“A woman?!” one of the dwarves cried. “She truly is a witch of loose morals.”

Regina was about to turn Ozzy around and knock the dwarf from his horse but it was David who confronted him first.

“I want to hear no such speak again,” he told them with a booming voice. “Regina loves Emma and her son. I’ve seen it with my own two eyes. Her love is real and no one should mock that or make it seem dirty. Being someone in love myself, I can vouch for how easily love can change a person. Yes Regina may not be perfect but my wife trusted her and I trust my wife. Anyone has a problem with that, turn back but do not return to my castle. Anyone against love is against what mine and Snow’s reign is built on and so will not be welcome in our court.”

Silence fell over the group.

“Good,” David nodded. “Now let’s try get where we’re going without killing each other.”

 

Henry was up in his room doing his homework so, as often was the case, Emma was stuck with Snow. She was in the middle of making a pasta bake when the other woman began interrogating her.

“So you love Regina?”

Emma was a little stunned by the question but answered anyway.

“I do,” she nodded. “I care about her very much.”

“But are you _in_ love with her?” Snow asked and at that, Emma sighed.

“I don’t know, maybe,” she shrugged. “It’s all very complicated and confusing. Look, I don’t really feel like talking about it right now, okay?”

Snow nodded in understanding but continued her questioning.

“Does Regina love you?”

“I don’t know,” Emma shrugged again. “She said she did, she acted like she did. But then if she was, why would she lie to me?”

“Maybe she was just scared of losing you?” Snow suggested with a positive tone and sweet smile. Emma just shrugged again as she began grating the cheese.

“Maybe,” was all she said in reply, retreating back into her thoughts. She really needed to have a real talk with Regina about all this, another one of the many reasons why she couldn’t wait for her to come home.

 

They’d tried up their horses up somewhere safe near a small stream were they could get water by Regina’s insistence. From there it was a small walk to the tunnel, concealed in a tree trunk. Using her magic, she opened the entrance and the other’s headed down the steps to the tunnel below.

“Just carry on to the end,” Regina told them. “You’ll come out in the corridor leading to the library.”

David was the last one to go in and put a hand on Regina’s arms.

“Good luck in there.”

“You too,” Regina nodded. “But if anything happens to me, will you tell Emma and Henry that I love them?”

“Of course,” David nodded. “If you do the same for me, tell Snow I love her and that my last moments were spent thinking of her.”

Usually Regina would gag and make a sarcastic comment. This time, however, she smiled and nodded.

“Certainly,” she promised and with a half-smile, David began to descend down the steps. “See you on the other side.”

“I certainly hope so,” David chuckled before disappearing into the darkness.

Regina waited a few moments before concealing the entrance again. If they were forced to retreat, they could open it from within.

Using her magic, she changed her attire, Transforming back into the evil queen. Quickly composing herself, she held her head high and walked to the road.

It didn’t take long for her to reach the castle gates and instantly she realised something was strange. Usually there were guards on duty outside and in the small turrets either side. Yet she could see no one.

“Mother!” she called out. “It’s me, Regina!”

There was no reply and she huffed in frustration. Just as she was about to blast her way in, the gates creaked open by themselves.

Already suspicious, she walked inside, ready to finally face her mother.  


	33. Three Words

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all the comments and kudos! Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. I hope you all enjoy!

The castle seemed to be entirely empty, her footsteps echoing through the halls.

She hated the place with every fibre of her being. So many bad memories lurked around every corner and walking through them once more made wonder why she’d fought too valiantly to keep a hold of it. She knew why really. It was a matter of principle, the simple fact it was what she deserved for all the wrongs that had been committed against her.

It was never home though. She didn’t know the true meaning of the word until she went to Storybrooke.

Now not only was the castle the harbourer of bad memories, but was a reminder of the monster she had become. And now, dressed ready to keep up the façade, every time she passed the many mirrors that lined the halls, her reflection made her feel sick.

The first mirror she’d found she’d asked for the genie, yet another person she had done wrong. She’d planned on freeing him, if she could find a way. But he wasn’t there. Maybe mother had freed him already but most likely she’d killed him. Even more blood on her hands yet for once she hadn’t been the one who’d spilt it.

She guessed her mother must be in her room in the highest tower. Mostly it was where Regina herself would be.

From the sound of it, David and the others hadn’t reached the end of the tunnel yet. Meaning she was alone, no back up. Just her and her mother.

As she walked down the hallway leading to her room, she felt a strong shiver of fear travel down her spine. Years had passed since she’d seen her mother yet she was still as scared of her as she’d always been. This time though she pushed through her fear, the thought of her family making her stronger than before.

As soon as she caught sight of her mother, she swore her heart stopped for a good minute. The older woman was facing away from her, looking out of the window to the kingdom beyond. The sun was beginning to set, making the sky look as though it were on fire.

She must have heard her approaching as she turned to face her. Her eyes instantly widened and a bright smile appeared across the woman’s face, making Regina instantly uneasy.

“Mother,” Regina said with an acknowledging nod, only to be instantly taken aback, both mentally and physically, when the woman ran to her and pulled her into a tight embrace.

“Regina!” she cried. “I’m so glad to you’re here!”

Regina quickly pushed her away.

“Get your hands off me,” she hissed. “After all you’ve done. You just don’t quit, do you? Can’t help but try ruin my life yet another time? Well I tell you now, _Mother_ , I’m not the quiet girl I used to be. So go back to whatever land you found yourself in or I promise you now, I’ll not rest until I _destroy you._ ”

Her mother hesitated for a moment before answering. And whatever she’d expected her to say, Regina would never have guessed the reply she gave her.

“I’m not Cora,” she insisted. “It’s me, Regina. It’s Snow White.”

Yet again, Regina was taken aback. Yet this time, after a moment, she burst out laughing.

“That is the worst lie I’ve ever heard.”

“I’m telling the truth, please believe me.”

“But I don’t believe you,” Regina snapped. “Even if you had swapped places with Snow I’d know. I’m a trained sorceress now and I can tell a magical disguise a mile away. And you are definitely you.”

“Because it’s not a disguise,” she explained. “I don’t know what happened but I’m in Cora’s body but my mind is mine, Regina. I swear it.”

Regina just scoffed and shook her head.

“Your promises mean nothing to me, Mother.”

The other woman huffed running a hand through her hair, pulling some of it out of the pins.

“The first time we met,” she blurted out. “You told me something. Do you remember?”

“Vaguely,” Regina replied but it was a lie. She remembered every detail of that day and days that followed. When her life had turned upside down.

“As have I,” the other woman replied. “You told me the only way to overcome fear was to…”

 _“…face it,”_ they finished in union.

“Snow?” Regina gasped. “But how can this be?”

“I don’t know,” she answered. “It was a few weeks ago we sent you through the portal. Everything was fine, I went through my day and I went to sleep. Then when I woke up I…I wasn’t me anymore.”

“Fuck,” Regina cursed, waving her hand to transform back into her riding clothes. It was then a sudden realisation hit her and her heart began beating fast.

“She’s with Emma and Henry. She could have hurt them.”

“Don’t panic,” Snow quickly told her. “They’re fine last time I checked.”

“You checked?” Regina frowned. “What do you mean?”

Snow sighed, brow creased as she seemed to try find a way to explain.

“Though my mind is here and hers is in my body in that other place, we still share a slight connection,” she explained. “I can’t communicate with her or take control of her in any way but sometimes, if I try hard enough, I can see what she sees. I’ve only seen brief moments as she pushes me out quickly and I haven’t tried often as…I don’t like it. But the last I saw, Emma and Henry are safe.”

“Oh thank god,” Regina breathed as a wave of relief overcame her.

“They’re beautiful people,” Snow commented. “You did well finding them.”

“I did,” Regina nodded in agreement. “Now I’m going to find a way to fix this, okay? But can you please try now and see how they are? Just for a moment?”

“Of course,” Snow nodded before closing her eyes, brow frowned in deep concentration. A few moments of silence, Snow gasped.

“No! No, no, no, no!”

“Snow?” Regina questioned. “Snow, what’s happened? Snow?!”

“She must have seen, I can’t tell when she sees,” Snow sobbed. “Oh Regina, I’m so sorry.”

“Snow, tell me what’s happening!” Regina demanded frantically. “Please tell me what she’s doing?”

Snow opened her mouth to reply, only to suddenly cry out in agony. Clutching her head, she fell to her knees. Regina moved to help her but Snow flung her arm out to stop her.

“Stay back!” she cried before letting out another scream. Regina just stood there, watching in horror as Snow writhed in pain.

She let out one final cry before she seemed to calm, her breaths deep and desperate.

“Snow?” Regina asked with concern. “Snow, are you alright?”

The other woman was silent for a few moments before she started laughing.

It wasn’t Snow anymore.

“Oh Regina,” Cora sighed as she got back on her feet. “I thought you knew better than to ask stupid questions.”

“ _Mother_ ,” Regina hissed, storming forward. “What did you do to them?! What did you do to my family?!”

“Oh Regina,” her mother said again, a slight smirk playing on her lips. “How many times do I have to tell you? Love is weakness.”

Those three words, that’s all she had to say.

Regina watched helplessly as her mother vanished before her. A matter of moments later, she heard footsteps running towards her. It wasn’t long until David was stood next to her.

“You let her go?! Why would you do that?!”

Regina didn’t even flinch at his raised voice. Her whole body was in shock.

“Love is weakness,” she repeated in less than a whisper.

“What?” David frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“Cora was Snow,” she said, more as a thought than an explanation. “She was with them. She hurt them.”

“Hurt who, Regina?”

“Emma and Henry,” Regina replied, a single tear trailing down her cheek. “She killed them.”


	34. Lost in Translation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all the comments and kudos! Thought this chapter would be really short as I only had 250 words two hours ago and now it's over 1,600. Seems as though this chapter ran away with itself ahaha. Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

“Has she come out of there yet?”

Though she could tell he was trying to be discrete, Regina could hear every word David was saying through the heavy wooden door.

“Not yet,” She heard Red reply. “She’s been locked in there since we got back.”

“Has she eaten?”

“She has,” Red replied. “She transports it through the door and returns the tray the same way.”

Regina rolled her eyes. She knew he meant well but all she wanted was to be left alone. 

They’d travelled back to Snow and David’s castle the day after it happened. Travelling with such a heavy heart wasn’t easy but she pushed through it. She told herself to push through further but as soon as they reached the castle gate, she dismounted her horse and ran straight to her room.

Three days had passed since then. The first day she didn’t get out of bed, just lay there in a dream-like state. Though nothing about what had happened was dream-like in the slightest.

The second day was when the tears started, once she found her phone in one of her draws. She’d looked at pictures of Emma and Henry until her battery ran out. Desperate still to see their faces, she tried to sketch them from memory. Yet no matter how much detail she added, they never looked right. They weren’t them.

So the third day ended up mirroring the first and Regina was sure the next day would be the same.

In a way she was glad she knew but a part of her wished she was naïve to what had happened. As, for a while, Emma and Henry would still be alive and she still had something worth fighting for.

Now, she had nothing.

Except for rage.

It burned like it never had before and it made her want to scream.

She was partly disappointed in herself, having tried her hardest to be a good person, but the urge to crush her mother’s heart was greater than anything else. It wasn’t like with Snow. Looking back she felt a fool for thinking killing Snow White would somehow set everything right. It wouldn’t have made anything better, wouldn’t bring Daniel back. Defeating her mother wouldn’t bring Emma and Henry back either but it would be incredibly satisfying, plus she didn’t think David and his jolly gang would have much objection.

Maybe an hour passed, Red knocking on the door several times to which she received no answer. She tried to clear her mind but now, instead of being haunted by the memory of her family, she kept thinking of ways she could defeat her mother.

It was during this time she remembered her father, which was awful really but with everything that had happened she’d forgotten her mother had him. So she wasn’t really alone. It didn’t make her feel any better though.

Still, her mind wondered, coming up with possible plans. In the end she couldn’t lay there any longer and conjured up some fresh clothes before finally leaving the room.

She headed straight for the war room, passing Red as she went, who did a double-take before chasing after her. By the time she reached the room, she had Red, three of the dwarves, and David on her trail.

“Regina, what are you doing?” David questioned but she ignored him, moving to the large map carved into a table in the middle of the room.

“We are here,” she said, pointing to the carved illustration of the castle. “And the Dark One’s castle is here,” she pointed to another craving at the far side of the kingdom. “I’m guessing that’s where my mother is but it would take us a good four days to get there in large numbers.”

“Yes, we know that already,” one of the dwarves snapped, only to shrink back when Red growled at him.

“Let her speak.”

Regina would have been surprised but at that moment she was too preoccupied to fully acknowledge the wolf’s defence of her. Still, she carried on.

“Now the Dark One and my mother are likely expecting me to go to them after…after what happened.”

“They’ll expect you to be overcome by your anger and want revenge,” David nodded. “Honestly, I thought the same.”

“Yes well that was the old Regina,” she replied. “The new Regina is very angry but I can hold myself together now. I can think logically and my logical thinking is saying we should go to my family’s old estate.”

At that, David frowned.

“Why? I thought it had been abandoned for years.”

“It has,” Regina nodded. “But I have a feeling my father may be kept there. And, if not, something else.”

“Something else?” Red questioned. “What else could Cora be hiding there?”

Regina didn’t want to say it, sickened at the thought, but she pushed through it to tell them.

“My mother doesn’t have her heart in her chest.”

They all looked at each other with wide eyes. David ran a hand over his hair.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“She took it out before I was born and put it in a box. That’s why she’s like she is.”

“But why would she want to do that,” Red gasped. “It’s awful.”

“She believes love is weakness,” Regina replied. “That’s what makes her so ruthless.”

One of the dwarves watched her closely with narrowed eyes.

“Do you still have your heart?”

“I do,” Regina nodded. “It’s a little damaged but it’s there. Would you like to see?”

The dwarves all screamed before running out of the room. Regina almost chuckled for the first time in days but didn’t quite get there.

“So we shall go in a few days,” David pronounced. “We still need to regroup from our last mission.”

“Very well,” Regina nodded. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I must head back in my room.”

As she moved to walk out of the room, Red moved in turn to put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“You shouldn’t lock yourself away,” she told her. “From what David has told me, this Emma wouldn’t want you to do be alone through this.”

“I know,” Regina nodded. “I just need to do something.”

When she reached her room again, she closed the door but didn’t lock it this time.

Moving over to the chest or draws by her bed she pulled out the walkie-talkie Henry had given her. Smiling down at it sadly, she moved to sit on the edge of the bed and pressed the button so she could speak.

“Henry,” she spoke into the device. “Henry, I know you can’t…I know you can’t hear me. And…and I’m so sorry for what she did and I-I should have known something was wrong…” Regina paused to hold back a sob before continuing. “But I just wanted to say that I love you, so, so much. And your mom. You were both such a gift, the greatest of gifts I could have ever received and I am totally undeserving. Though we only had a short time together, it was the best time of my life and I’ll hold onto it dearly for the rest of my life. So, if in some way you can hear me, just know that I love you, Henry. I love you so, so much and I always will.”

Releasing the button, she wiped the tears from her eyes before setting it back in the draw.

Well, that’s that.

_Meanwhile, in Storybrooke…_

“More tea, Snow?”

“No thank you, Emma,” Snow replied with a chuckle. “I think I’ve reached my limit.”

Emma laughed also as she walked back through to the living room and sat back on the couch, hot chocolate on hand.

“I’ve never known someone drink so much tea.”

“It’s so much nicer here than back home. It has the perfect balance.”

“Yep,” Emma nodded. “All thanks to mass-production.”

She knew Snow didn’t have any idea what she was talking about but she appreciated it.

“Well I shall have to take plenty home with me,” Snow planned. “I’d at least like enough for David and my friends to enjoy.”

“Yeah, we’ll have to work out the most efficient way to transport it,” Emma replied. “Let me think about it. I’ll come up with an idea.”

Before Snow could reply, Henry came running into the room, clutching his walkie-talkie.

“Mom, Mom, we need to go to the Enchanted Forest!”

“Woah, woah, woah,” she sat up, leaning to put her drink on the coffee table (using a coaster as she knew Regina would flip if she came home and found marks on the table). “Kid, what’s up?”

“Regina spoke to me,” he held up the walkie-talkie. “Mom, we need to find her.”

Worry instantly spread through Emma.

“Why? Is she in trouble? Is she hurt?”

“No, I think she’s fine,” Henry replied. “But Mom, she thinks we’re dead.”

“Oh no,” Snow gasped. “Cora must have lied, I should have seen this coming.”

“Have you tried to talk back to her,” Emma asked Henry, who nodded.

“I tried but I don’t think I can get through. Mom, we have to get there now!”

“Okay Kid let me just think about it,” Emma told him but Henry didn’t seem to like that answer.

“But she thinks we’re dead. She could hurt herself or find another family or…”

“Kid, just calm down and let me think,” she snapped at him and instantly regretted it. “Kid, I’m sorry I…”

“I HATE YOU!” he cried before running upstairs. Emma sighed and slumped back in her seat, robbing her forehead.

She looked up and saw Snow watching her.

“Can’t we have a few days of peace anymore?”

“That’s the price of having Regina in your life,” Snow chuckled and Emma guessed she was right.


	35. Piece of My Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all the comments and kudos! Sorry for the short and late update but it's been a hectic week and doesn't look like that's going to change haha I'll try keep on top of updates though! Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

**Storybrooke, _that_** **night….**

They’d been setting up the dinner table for dinner when Snow, for no noticeable reason, dropped the salad bowl, causing glass and lettuce.

Emma cursed under her breath.

“You swore!” Henry exclaimed with an amused smirk on his face.

“Just stay were you are, Kid,” she told him as she walked carefully towards Snow. “You okay, Snow?”

“I’m fine,” Snow replied but Emma noticed something off in her tone, a coldness.

“Are you sure?” Emma frowned. “You don’t sound fine?”

At that, Snow let out a bitter laugh.

“Honesty? No, I’m not _fine._ ”

“Alright,” Emma replied. “What’s the problem?”

“You,” Snow replied. “You are my problem.”

At that, Emma raised an eyebrow.

“Oh really? Why is that? Is the fact I’ve been cooking for you and doing everything while you won’t even lift a finger? Because if it is, the doors right there. You can go whenever you want. I don’t give a fuck.”

“You swore again!”

“I know, Kid,” she sighed. “I’ll put a dollar in the swear jar later.”

“Two dollars,” he corrected her.

“This is why,” Snow snapped. “You are both idiots, complete wastes of space.”

“Gee thanks,” Henry replied.

“Don’t you dare call my son a waste of space!” Emma snapped at her. “Get out of my house!”

Snow laughed bitterly once more.

“Your house? I don’t think so.”

“Yeah but Regina’s my girlfriend so…”

“Indeed she is, much to my disappointment,” the other woman replied. “But no one is as important to a girl as her mother.”

For a moment, Emma was confused. Until realisation hit her.

“Kid, go upstairs.”

“Mom?”

“Henry, do what I say.”

“You coddle the boy too much,” Cora spoke through Snow’s lips. “My husband coddled Regina too much and look how that turned out.”

“Insecure and traumatised?” Emma questioned. “Because from what I’ve heard that’s all on you.”

“She’s weak,” Cora replied. “And she’s only made weaker through love of you.”

“Oh yeah? How’d you figure that? ‘cause the way I see it, people are better off filled with love rather than hate.”

Cora chuckled at that.

“That’s exactly why you’re not right for my daughter. Your view of the world is optimistic.”

It was Emma’s time to laugh.

“My view of the world is quite the opposite actually.”

“Whatever you say,” Cora said with a smirk. “Not that any of that matters now.”

Emma frowned as Cora rose Snow’s hand. She would have found the pose hilarious if it weren’t for all she had heard of the woman, how she was ruthless and would rip out you heart…. _fuck!_

She instantly jumped back but Cora was quicker, her hand going straight for Emma’s heart.

“Mom!” Henry cried but it was too late.

The feeling of the hand passing through Emma’s skin and into her chest was a sensation she wished she never wanted to feel again. It was indescribable but, apart from childbirth, it was the most painful experience of a life.

Then, as Cora reached her heart, something unexpected happened.

There was a bright light and Cora was sent flying across the room, hitting the far wall before falling to the ground unconscious.

“Mom!” Henry cried again, running into his mother’s arms. “You stopped her!”

Emma snapped out of her shocked trance and looked down at her son.

“Me?”

“Yeah, the light came from you,” he told her and Emma instantly shook her head.

“That’s not possible, Kid,” Emma replied. “Unless Regina put a spell on me without me knowing.”

“Nah,” Henry shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

“Alright then,” she sighed, not in the mood to argue with him. “Okay, go upstairs, Kid. I don’t want you here when she wakes up.”

“But…”

“Nope, no buts,” Emma told him. “Why don’t you go look in that book and see if there’s anything that can help us.”

Henry perked up at that and ran up to his room.

Shaking her head, Emma went in search of her gun.

 

Snow groaned and sat up, rubbing the back of her head. Looking down at her legs, she saw her feet were covered in blood. Looking up, she saw Emma Swan pointing a strange weapon at her.

“Are you Cora or Snow?”

“Snow,” she quickly answered. Emma narrowed her eyes.

“How do I know you’re telling the truth?”

Snow instantly panicked. There was no way she could prove it.

“I guess you’ll have to take my word for it,” she replied, nervous it wouldn’t work. However, Emma just chuckled and put down her gun.

“I was just messing with you.”

Snow instantly frowned.

“I’m sorry?”

“I knew you weren’t her,” Emma told her. “While you were out you kept mumbling David’s name.”

“Oh,” Snow blushed, making Emma chuckle again as she got to her feet and held her hand out to her.

“Here, I’ll help you up.”

Snow removed her hand from her head to take Emma’s hand only to catch a glimpse of crimson.

“I think I’m bleeding,” she gasped, touching the back of her head again only to find more blood on her fingertips.

“Shit,” Emma huffed before helping her up. “Okay, I guess we’d better get you to the hospital.”

“What’s a hospital?” Snow asked, making Emma chuckle again.

“Welcome to Storybrooke, Princess.”


	36. Haircuts and Ice Cream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Imma really tired and need to go to sleep so here's the new chapter and all the usual stuff applies :P

**Back to the present….**

“Kid, open up,” Emma knocked on her son’s door again but all she got was the same reply.

“Go away!”

Emma sighed before knocking again.

“Kid, come on. Let’s talk.”

“I don’t want to talk to you!” he shouted back. “You don’t care about Regina! If you did we’d be going to find her!”

“Henry, don’t be like this.”

“No, you don’t get it! Regina is family and that means we do anything to stop them from hurting. But you don’t think that! You don’t care about her like I do!”

“Kid, Regina’s my girlfriend and I love her just as much as you do. But she wanted us to stay and so we’ll stay. It’s better to stay safe here so she has us to come back to than go into the unknown and getting hurt for real.”

There was a moment of silence and Emma was about to knock on the door again just as it opened. Henry stepped out of his room and looked up at her.

“You love Regina?”

Emma was confused for a moment before realising what she’d said. For a moment she panicked but suddenly she felt a small smile appear on her lips.

“Yeah, I do,” she nodded. “And you’re right, she’s family.”

“Then we need to find her,” Henry insisted. “We’re family and we need to be together.”

“Okay, Kid,” Emma nodded. “Let me just think about this, alright?”

Henry nodded, accepting her answer even if it wasn’t totally what he wanted.

“Alright.”

“Good,” Emma smiled, ruffling hiss hair. “You need a haircut.”

“I guess,” he shrugged.

“Why don’t we get your hair cut and then get ice cream?” she suggested but Henry didn’t look too eager about the prospect.

“Alright,” he said again with even less enthusiasm.

“Come on,” she tried to encourage him. “I know Regina would like to see you with a fresh new haircut.”

Henry’s face lit up and he ran passed her down the stairs.

“Come on, Mom. We gotta go.”

Emma couldn’t help but chuckle. That was too easy.

 

Snow came along to the hairdressers with them by Henry’s insistence.

“We can go to the hairdressers, then get ice cream, then go to Regina,” he kept saying, giddy with excitement.

Emma found his adoration for Regina so adorable. In the time he’d come to know Regina, he’d become her little shadow and she could tell he hated being apart from her, as she did.

In her head she had this recurring daydream of Regina taking Henry to a ‘bring your child to work’ day, Henry in a slightly oversized suit with Regina helping with his tie. Though she knew it wasn’t a real memory, it still warmed Emma’s heart and she hoped they’d have many real moments like this.

The hairdresser sat Henry down and Emma smirked as her son chatted away. One thing she could say about Henry, he certainly wasn’t shy.

“What a strange place,” Snow commented, looking around with interest. “There is a lovely aroma in the air. What is it?”

“Shampoo,” Emma shrugged. “Or hairspray maybe. I don’t know.”

“Lovely,” Snow said again.

One of the hairdressers approached them with a bright smile on their face.

“Any of you ladies want a haircut? We have a spare slot?”

“I’m fine, thank you,” Emma replied. “I’m happy with my hair right now.”

The hairdresser nodded in understanding before looking to Snow.

“What about you, ma’am?”

“Oh I’d love to!” Snow beamed before looking to Emma. “If that’s alright?”

“Sure,” Emma replied. “Do what you want.”

Snow’s grin grew incredibly bigger before jumping to her feet.

“Right then,” the hairdresser laughed. “What shall we do? I trim? A restyle.”

“Just make me look beautiful,” Snow replied, following the hairdresser to the free chair.

Emma smiled as she watched the hairdresser comb through Snow’s long hair, the woman herself looking as though she were living the dream. Yet it was when the first long lock of hair fell to the floor that she began to panic.

 

Snow White now had a pixie cut and she totally rocked it.

Now, as she eagerly ate her strawberry ice cream, she looked like a completely different person and Emma sure gave that hairdresser a generous tip. They were a haircutting genius. Of course Henry also looked dapper but what else was new? He was the most handsome guy in the world in Emma’s opinion.

Henry had double chocolate brownie, the same as his mother, and was shovelling it down without fear of brainfreeze.

“So me and Snow look good, huh?” he said, more stating a point than asking a question.

“You both look fantastic,” Emma replied. “We’ll have to take a selfie later so we can show Regina when we see her.”

“Why would we need to do that?” Henry frowned. “We’re seeing her soon, right?”

“I said we would,” Emma replied. “But you know we should get a picture while it’s fresh.”

“But it’d still be fresh when she sees it,” he argued. “Because you said we were going after the ice cream.”

“Now I never said that,” Emma pointed out but that didn’t seem to help anything.

“Why can’t we go now?” he questioned. “What could be more important than Regina?”

“Kid, it’s not that simple. I need to make arrangements. After all I am sheriff and then there’s the house and you’ve got school. Okay, we’ll go to Regina but we need to work some stuff out first.”

She though she sounded reasonable but Henry replied by slamming his fists against the table.

“Fine,” he huffed, getting to his feet. “If you won’t go to Regina, then I’ll have to do it alone.”

With that, he ran out of the diner.

Emma sighed before continuing to eat her ice cream.

“Aren’t you going to go after him?” Snow questioned.

“Nah,” Emma replied. “He’ll just do what he always does when he gets in a mood. Go home and play on his video games. Don’t worry about it.”

Snow looked sceptical but didn’t argue.

A part of Emma felt the same, telling her she should go after him yet her determination to not give into her son’s tantrums was winning.

She just had a feeling something wasn’t going to be quite right this time. Her gut never lied and this was no exception.


	37. Sweet Child of Mine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all the comments and kudos! Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

Regina got up early, taking her time getting ready for the day before meeting Red at the stairs.

“How are you today?” Red asked as they descended the stairs in search for breakfast.

“Better,” Regina replied. That was more on the positive side. Though her heart ached impossibly and she felt as though she could burst into tears at any given moment, she didn’t feel like she was going to throw up anymore so that was some progress.

“Good,” Red smiled. “I know it’s hard. I’ve been there myself, after all.”

“You have? I didn’t know that.”

“I don’t talk about it often,” the wolf shrugged. “But it’s hard to get over, impossible to forget.”

“I don’t want to forget,” Regina replied. “Not a single moment.”

“Sometimes I wish I could,” Red admitted. “Then it wouldn’t hurt as much.”

They entered the grand hall and sat down at one of the long benches David had brought in. Since there were so many people staying in the castle, both to help and for sanctuary, meal times had become similar to the cafeteria at Henry’s school.

Red and Regina sat down and were soon joined by the old woman.

“Are you feeling any better today, Regina?” she asked, surprising both of them.

“A little, thank you,” Regina replied and was shocked when the woman gave her a warm smile.

“Good, I know how painful losing a child can be. Though we were once enemies, I’d never wish that on anyone.”

“Henry wasn’t my child,” Regina corrected her. “I loved him very much but I wasn’t lucky enough to have the opportunity to be a mother to him.”

The old woman looked sceptical at that but didn’t argue.

“Well, if you would ever like to talk, just come to Granny.”

“Why are you referring to yourself in third person?” Red questioned, making Regina chuckle and ‘Granny’ shoot her a glare.

“Eat up, Red. You too, Regina. You’ll need to build up your strength if you are to travel in a few days.”

Regina didn’t feel like eating, especially the sloppy porridge that had been placed in front of her. She missed pancakes, and bacon. Pancakes topped with bacon with syrup drizzled at the side. Maybe she could teach the kitchen staff, though they’d likely run away from her like they had last time she ventured down there. Before, when everything was hopeful.

Still, she forced herself to eat the porridge. Granny was right, she needed her strength to defeat her mother. And there was nothing that would stop her now.

Then the door at the other end of the room flew open and a gang of guards entered the room, approaching were David sat on the top table.

“Your majesty, we found this boy on the road who claims to know you.”

Red stood up to look over the crowd of heads.

“They’ve got a kid with them.”

Regina stood up with her and saw Red was correct. They had a child in cuffs and a hood over their head. Now she was not having that.

Getting to her feet, she marched across the hall to them.

“You get that bag off his head now,” she demanded. “He’s a child, not a criminal.”

“He could be both,” one of the guards argued, only to step down when Regina shot him a deadly glare.

“Do as she said,” David commanded them and, with a nod, one of the guards grasped the hood and pulled it of.

Regina’s heart stopped.

“Henry?”

With a wave of her hand, the cuffs fell off and Henry wasted no time in running into her arms.

“Regina!” Henry grinned. “I found you!”

Holding the boy tightly, Regina couldn’t help the tears from falling.

“I can’t believe you’re here. I thought you were…”

“Dead,” Henry finished for her. “Nope, I’m not.”

“Wait, how did you know that?” Regina frowned, loosening her grip on him slightly so he could look up at her.

“The walkie-talkie worked,” he told her. “I heard what you said and I had to find you.”

“So you’re alright?” she asked again just to clarify and Henry nodded.

“I am.”

“And your mother?”

“She’s fine too.”

She felt a sudden wave of relief. They were both safe, both alive.

“But where is she?” Regina questioned.

“Back in Storybrooke,” Henry answered.

“She let you come here by yourself?” she frowned. That didn’t sound right. She knew Emma and she’d never let Henry do any such thing.

“Well……”

Letting the boy go, Regina stood up straight and put her hands on her hips.

“Henry Swan, what did you do?”

“She lied!” he cried. “She said we’d go find you and then she started stalling, saying she had to make arrangements. So I found the magic beans and used one.”

Regina sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“Henry, do I need to tell you how foolish that was? Anything could have happened to you and your mother will be worried sick!”

Henry looked up at her with a pout.

“Aren’t you happy to see me?” he asked in a quiet voice and Regina’s tough façade instantly fell away. Kneeling down, she got to his height so she could talk to him face to face.

“Oh Henry, I’m beyond happy to see you. Just thought of anything happening to you just terrifies me. You should have stayed with your mom. After all, I knighted you the protector of moms.”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “That’s why I’m here. To protect you.”

Regina couldn’t help but smile, her eyes filled with happy tears. She pulled him close again, holding him close.

“I love you, Henry.”

“I love you too, Regina.”


	38. Down the Rabbit Hole

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all the great comments and kudos! Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

When Emma got home and found Henry not there, she instantly knew what he’d done. Yet she kept it to herself until they checked. And sure enough, in the hiding place she’d found under one of the floor boards in her bedroom, only one magic bean remained.

“But how could he find it?” Snow asked as they headed down the stairs.

“He inherited his father’s sticky fingers,” Emma huffed, knowing she’d regret that comment later when she’d calmed down. “Now come on, we need to get going.”

Grapping her firearm, she strapped it to her belt and met Snow in the living room.

“Right, how do we do this thing?”

“Blue enchanted them so that we could just throw them down and the portal would open.”

“That’s a terrible idea!” Emma cried. “What if I’d dropped them by accident or something?!”

“Well we are fortunate you didn’t,” Snow replied and Emma just rolled her eyes.

“Alright, let’s get going.”

“Wait, we should get something of Henry’s.”

“What?” Emma frowned. “Why?”

“Regina will be able to find him if she has something of his,” Snow told her. “Hopefully he will head straight for our castle but if anything should happen on the way…”

“Say no more,” Emma cut her off before running up the stairs and to Henry’s room.

Since moving in with Regina, it had quickly become home and nothing was more proof of that fact than Henry’s room. Walking in, you’d think he’d lived there for years rather than weeks. In all honesty, Emma couldn’t imagine moving back to the loft. Not because it was smaller but because it wasn’t her home anymore. Their home was here, the three of them together.

Looking around the room, she wasn’t sure what to take. Would a simple t-shirt do? Or would it need to be something with a deeper connection.

Looking around, she spotted Henry’s scarf of the floor. He always wore it yet that day had been particularly warm so it was one of the rare times he left it at home. Emma picked it up and hugged it close to her chest.

With everything she had, she wished he was alright.

Then, just as she left the room, she heard a sound.

Emma paused in the doorway until she heard the sound again. Like static.

Walking back into the room, she followed the sound to Henry’s bed. Looking down the side between his draws and his bed, she found a walkie-talkie trapped in the gap.

Pulling it out by the antenna, as soon as she touched it the static got louder. Then when she got a proper hold of the device, the static was replaced by a voice.

_“Mom, mom, it’s me!”_

“Henry!” she cried, hands frantic to find the button so she could reply. “Henry, I’m here!”

“ _Mom, I hope you can hear me. I could hear Regina but she could never hear me!”_

“Yes, I can hear you!” Emma called down the device. “Kid, are you okay?!”

Henry didn’t seem to hear her but told her what she wanted anyway.

_“You don’t have to worry, I found Regina. We’re in David and Snow’s castle and it’s so cool! Regina’s fine, she’s made a new friend called Red who’s really cool!”_

“Wait, who’s this Red?” Emma frowned.

_“Do you want to speak to Regina? Well, Regina can speak to you.”_

“Heck yeah!”

There was a long static-filled pause before a voice spoke up again, this one certainly not Henry.

 _“Emma_ ,” Regina’s voice called through, making Emma’s knees weak, forcing her to sit down on the bed. _“Henry’s here and he’s fine. Thankfully a group of David’s guards found him who brought him here. I promise you, he is totally safe here. Anyone who wants to hurt him will have to kill me first and I tell you now, many have tried and failed at that.”_

“I know,” Emma nodded. “But I’m coming anyway. I’m coming to both of you.”

_“Now, if you’re listening, I just want to say that I miss you terribly. When I thought something happened to you both, I didn’t think I’d ever be happy again. Then Henry came to me and told me you were very much alive and light came back into my life again. Still, being apart from you makes my heart hurt and I can’t wait until the day I see you again.”_

“I’m coming to you now,” Emma tried to tell her but yet again, Regina couldn’t hear her.

_“I love you, Emma. No matter what happens with us going forward, I’ll always love you.”_

“I…”

The static returned and the words died in Emma’s throat.

“Emma?” Snow’s voice called up the stairs. “Are you okay? Who are you talking to?”

Snapping out of her thoughts, Emma gripped the scarf and the walkie-talkie before heading downstairs.

“Regina,” she replied once she’d reached the bottom of the stairs. “He’s with Regina.”

“Oh thank goodness,” Snow sighed in relief. “Are they at my castle?”

“Yeah,” Emma nodded. “So who’s this Red?”

“Red? Oh she’s a dear friend of mine and one of the most beautiful people in the whole realm, inside and out.”

“Great,” Emma grumbled. “Okay, we need to get to this castle like now.”

“Alright than,” Snow nodded, getting the bean out of the small pouch before handing it to Emma.

Holding the bean in her free hand, she dropped it to the floor and instantly the portal opened up before them.

Taking hands, both women took a breath before jumping down the rabbit hole.


	39. Danger Zone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all the comments and kudos! Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

Regina leant against the wall as she watched Henry and Pinocchio play tag in the courtyard with a soft smile on her face. They both looked so carefree, without a care in the world. For the life of her she couldn’t remember the last time she’d been like that. Maybe it had been back in Storybrooke, or when she had Daniel. If she had ever even felt like that.

“Make the most of it,” Granny told her as she passed by with a basket filled with freshly sharpened daggers, as though that was completely normal. “He’ll grow up faster than you’ll want him too.”

“I know,” Regina replied. “But to me he’ll always be a little boy.”

Granny chuckled as she went, muttering something like ‘not his mother my arse’.

Regina rolled her eyes and went back to watching Henry.

She’d thought he’d have trouble acclimatising to this realm. After all, Henry had been accustom to running water and electricity all his life. Here the only water came from wells and rivers, and the only form of electricity was lightning.

That didn’t seem to faze him though. Everything seemed to fascinate him, even the most ordinary things. To Henry, the whole castle had become his own personal playground that he was so eager to explore.

Though he’d only been there a day and a half. Regina knew at some point he’d start nagging for his video games.

She was so deep in thought that she didn’t notice David standing next to her.

“What are you smiling about?” he asked, making her jump.

“Christ, David,” she gasped, moving a hand over her heart. “You can’t sneak around like that!”

“It’s my castle, I’ll do what I like,” he replied with a chuckle. “And now I can say I scared the Evil Queen.”

Regina shot him a glare.

“You wish.”

David chuckled again before looking over to the two boys.

“I see Henry’s made a new friend.”

“Indeed he has,” Regina replied.

“That’s good,” David said with a nod of approval. “I know Pinocchio has been lonely. Not many of the other children don’t want to hang around with someone who was…”

“Previously a wooden puppet,” Regina finished for him and David nodded.

“Yeah, they don’t understand that now he’s exactly like them.”

“Well Henry’s very understanding,” Regina replied. “I mean, he was understanding about me being the Evil Queen so he won’t even blink that this.”

“That’s because he knows you for who you are now,” David told her. “And I must say, I’m surprised at how far you’ve come.”

“As am I,” Regina admitted.

“That’s what the love of a good women does to you,” he said with a chuckle that she joined with a small burst of laughter.

“Quite right,” she nodded. “And the belief of an adorable ten year old.”

They fell into comfortable silence for a few moments before David spoke up again.

“We’re going to leave for your family’s estate in the morning. I’m afraid we can put this off no longer.”

“What? David, I can’t leave Henry here. I’m responsible for him.”

“Then bring him with us,” David replied and Regina instantly shook her head.

“No, no way!” she hissed, keeping her voice down as to not catch Henry’s attention. “He’s a child! He has no place in this war.”

“Well we need to go, Regina,” David argued. “With each day, Cora and the Dark One grow in strength and more people die. We need to do this now and we can’t do this mission without you. Do I need to remind you of our deal?”

“No you don’t,” she snapped. “Just let me think for a moment.”

She thought over both options carefully. Neither sat well with her, not wanting to leave Henry but also didn’t want to walk him right into the danger zone.

Then, she had an idea.

“What if there was another option?” she spoke up, catching David’s interest.

“Which is?”

“I send him back home to Storybrooke.”

David raised his eyebrows, indicating his surprise.

“You’d send him through a portal alone?”

“Of course not,” Regina replied. “I’ll go with him and come back.”

David considered the idea for a moment before looking at her sceptically.

“What would be stopping you from staying there and not coming back?”

“My father is still my mother’s prisoner,” she reminded him. “I’m not going to walk away from him. But I also can’t send Henry through that portal alone.”

David thought over the plan again before nodding.

“Fine, but if you aren’t back within an hour, I’ll send my guards after you.”

Regina nodded in understanding before looking over to Henry. She knew this was the right thing to do, but she wasn’t ready to say goodbye again.

 

“I don’t wanna go back,” Henry whined the pair approached the throne room. “I came here to be with you.”

“I know and I appreciate the sentiment but you need to go back to your mother,” Regina told him. “If circumstances were different, I’d love for you to stay. But I need to save this realm and I can’t do that if I need to protect you too.”

“But I’m the protector of moms!”

“Yes and I’m sure you could handle yourself,” Regina said with a chuckle. “But I’ll still worry an I can’t concentrate solely on this mission if I am.”

“Alright,” Henry huffed. “But you gotta promise to come back home soon. I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” Regina replied, putting an arm round him. “And once all this is done, wild horses couldn’t keep me away.”

They met David and Red inside the throne room, the wolf holding the magic beans in her hand.

“Are you sure about this, Regina?” Red asked in concern. “I could look after him, or Granny and you know she’d protect him for sure.”

“I know,” Regina chuckled at that. “But this is for the best.”

Red look sceptical but nodded in acceptance, handing over the beans. “Safe travels.”

“Thank you,” Regina replied before looking to David. “One hour.”

“One hour,” he nodded. “Good luck.”

Regina gave him a small smile before holding her free hand out to Henry, who took it without hesitation.

“Are you ready, Henry?”

“I guess,” he replied with a little pout.

Regina squeezed his hand comfortingly before holding up her other hand, just about to drop the bean when the doors flew open.

“STOP!”

Everyone looked around and, to all of their surprise, Snow White stormed into the room.

Yet Regina looked right passed her to the mass of yellow hair that followed along behind. A bright smile appeared on her face.

Emma.


	40. Back To You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all the comments and kudos! Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

 “Snow!”

“David!”

Snow and Charming ran to each other, meeting in the middle in a passionate kiss.

“Being without you has been unbearable,” Snow breathed once they broke apart.

“We should never be apart again,” David replied before kissing her again.

Regina rolled her eyes. Of course the two idiots had to ruin the moment and put her in a bad mood.

“Mom!” Henry cried, snapping Regina out of her thoughts as he ran towards Emma.

“Henry!” Emma grinned, bending down to catch her son as he practically threw himself in her arms.

“You’re here!” Henry smiled back.

“Of course I did,” she replied before getting to her feet and putting her hands on her hips. “So, want to tell me why you thought you’d not only steal from Snow and I but run off to another realm?”

Henry bowed his head in shame.

“I’m sorry.”

“Damn kid, do I have to tell you how lucky you were?! Anything could have happened?! Now you’re gonna be grounded beyond belief when we get home but right now you have to promise _never_ to do _anything_ like that again.”

“I promise,” Henry replied. “I’m sorry I was stupid. I just really needed to see Regina.”

Emma blinked before looking over and meeting Regina’s gaze.

As soon as her brown eyes met those emerald orbs, Regina’s heart fluttered.

It always seemed to shock her how beautiful she was.

Emma seemed to be staring at her too but she couldn’t read her expression. Looking down, Regina remembered she was wearing one of her riding outfits. She mentally cursed. She should have worn something better.

Realising the magic beans were still in her hand, she used her own magic to transport them to her room, well out of the way.

Then Emma began to walk towards her and Regina instantly froze.

Was she still mad at her? Was she upset? Was she going to tell her it was all over?

She was so caught up in her worries that she didn’t realise what Emma was doing until she felt her arms wrap around her. Realising her maybe-kinda-sorta-hopefully girlfriend was hugging her, Regina quickly recuperated it.

“Regina,” Emma whispered, holding onto her for dear life.

“Emma,” she said in reply, the name rolling off her tongue with more magic than any spell. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry too,” Emma replied. “I overreacted when I found out the truth and I should have at least let you explain.”

“No, I understand,” Regina told her. “It can’t have been easy learning your girlfriend was the evil queen.”

“But I know you,” Emma quickly argued. “Sure maybe you were that person once but the person here, in my arms, is not that.”

Pulling out of the embrace, Regina smiled at Emma and took her hands in hers.

“So you still want me?”

“Of course I do,” Emma told her. “But I still need a little time. Like you said when you left, we need to heal. I’m getting there, I truly am. But I’m not quite there yet.”

“I understand,” Regina nodded. “Whenever you’re ready, I’ll be there.”

“You’d wait for me?”

“I’d wait forever for you.”

A bright smile appeared on Emma’s lips. It was the most beautiful smile Regina had ever seen and hoped it wouldn’t be the last time she saw it.

“So,” Emma spoke up, the smile still playing on her lips. “What’s been happening with you?”

“Besides finding out Snow and my mother had swapped bodies and me timing you and Henry, nothing much.”

“Yeah, not the way I pictured meeting your mom,” Emma said with a chuckle. “Seriously though, how’s it going here? Any progress?”

“Regina’s going on a mission and won’t let me go!”

Both women looked down at Henry in surprise.

“How long you been there, Kid?”

“The whole time,” he shrugged. “You guys are weird.”

“I need to put a bell on you,” Emma chuckled and ruffled his hair before looking back to Regina. “So what’s this mission?”

“We’re going to my family’s estate to see if there is anything there we can use,” Regina told her. “I was about to bring Henry back to Storybrooke because I didn’t feel comfortable leaving him here. It’s a good job you and Snow came in when you did otherwise you’d have missed us.”

“Yeah, that wouldn’t have been good,” Emma replied. “So what time we leaving?”

“We?” Regina frowned.

“Yeah,” Emma nodded. “I’m coming too.”

“Emma, this is going to be dangerous.”

“And? I’ll have my firearm.”

“That has limited bullets,” Regina pointed out, only for Emma to shrug.

“Can you turn it into a magic gun?”

“I don’t know, maybe.”

“Then that’s settled,” Emma said with a grin. “Come on, Regina. I’m not a standing-on-the-side-lines kind of girl and I wanna help in any way I can.”

Regina tried to think of a good argument but in the end sighed in defeat.

“Fine, but no stupid heroics. I’m serious, you don’t put yourself in any unnecessary danger.”

“Same for you,” Emma countered and when Regina went to argue, she held her hand up. “No-no, I’m serious too, Regina.”

“Fine,” Regina sighed again.

“Cool!” Henry grinned. “Regina, can I get a sword?”

“No way, kid,” Emma told him. “You’re staying here.”

“ _Mom,”_ he whined but she just shook her head.

“No buts. You’re not coming.”

“You’re so lame!” he cried before running off. Emma sighed and shook her head.

“I’d better go after him.”

“Would you like me to come help?” Regina asked but Emma shook her head.

“Nah, me and the kid need to sort this out.”

“Alright,” Regina nodded in understanding before holding out her hand. “So, friends?”

“Friends,” Emma smiled, taking Regina’s hand and shaking it. “For now.”

“For now,” Regina repeated with a chuckle.

Watching Emma run off after Henry, she felt a huge weight lift from her shoulders.


	41. Sting of Jealousy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all the comments and kudos! Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

As she had last time they’d set off on a mission, Regina was up and ready like everyone else. And, like last time, Pinocchio found her. Or rather she found him waiting for her outside the castle stables.

“I knew you’d be coming to see Ozzy,” he said as she approached. “Are you taking him with you?”

“Indeed I am,” Regina said with a chuckle. “Did you want to come see him?”

Pinocchio nodded and followed her into the stables.

Ozzy was in one of the first stalls, eagerly waiting Regina’s arrival as though he knew it were time for another adventure.

“Hello there,” Regina greeted him, opening up the door and leading him out. “Do you remember Pinocchio?”

“Hi Ozzy,” Pinocchio said with a little wave. The horse regarded him for a moment before looking on.

“Don’t mind him,” Regina told the boy. “He’s ready to get going. Aren’t you, Ozzy?”

“Are you taking Henry with you?” Pinocchio asked and Regina was quick to shake her head.

“He’s staying here. Not that he’s too happy about it.”

“Well I’m happy he’s staying,” Pinocchio replied. “He’s the only kid that’s nice to me. Everyone else thinks I’m a freak.”

“I don’t think you’re a freak,” Regina said before patting Ozzy on the side of his neck. “Neither does Ozzy here.”

At that, Pinocchio grinned.

“Good,” he said, unable to stop smiling. “If you want, I’ll try my best to cheer Henry up.”

“That would be great. Thank you, Pinocchio.”

The boy nodded, his smile still bright.

“I better go find my father. Good luck on your mission, Regina.”

“Why thank you, kind sir,” Regina said with a small curtsy. Pinocchio laughed before running off, almost bumping into Emma as he went.

“Woah, that kid can run,” Emma chuckled as she entered the stables.

“He sure can,” Regina agreed. “How did you know I was here?”

“David told me,” Emma shrugged as she moved to stand next to her. “Who’s this beauty?”

“This is Ozzy,” Regina introduced him and Emma’s face lit up.

“Great name.”

“I thought you’d approve,” Regina chuckled. “Speaking of which, we’d better get him ready.”

Though Emma tried to help getting Ozzy ready, she ended up stepping aside and watching Regina do it all.

Once he was ready, Regina gave him a treat.

“You’re a handsome boy,” she chuckled. “And I’m sure you know it.”

“You really like horses, huh?”

“I like horses more than I do most people,” Regina replied with a chuckle. “You and Henry are part of the lucky few.”

“Thanks,” Emma laughed. “We’d better go meet the others. I know Henry really wants to see you before we go.”

“Are you two on better terms now?” Regina asked, pleased when Emma nodded.

“He was just upset with me because…well because I didn’t come after you when we’d found out what’d happened. He thought it was because I didn’t care about you, which is of course the very opposite of the truth. Now he knows that I was just being cautious for his safety, he kinda understands.”

Regina nodded in understanding.

“I’m glad. I hate it when you two don’t get along, especially when it’s over me.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Emma assured her. “He’ll calm down soon. He’s just missed you so much.”

“I missed you both too,” Regina replied.

“And I you,” Emma smiled. “Now come on, we’d better go.”

 

Henry ran towards them as soon as they entered the courtyard. To Regina’s relief, he ran to Emma first, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face in her stomach.

“I love you, Mom.”

“I love you too, Kid,” Emma relied, running a hand over his hair. “Don’t worry, we’ll be back before you know it.”

Henry nodded as he pulled away before latching himself onto Regina.

“I love you as well, Regina.”

Regina chuckled and kissed the top of his head.

“I love you too, Henry. I’ll make sure your mother is safe, don’t worry.”

“I know,” Henry nodded again, pulling away so he could look at her. “But who will look after you?”

“I will,” Emma told him. “That’s the way it works, Kid. I’ve got Regina’s back and she’s got mine.”

Regina nodded in agreement, unable to stop the smile it caused.

Henry grinned too, and then he seemed to notice Ozzy and he frowned.

“You got another horse? What about Rocinante?”

“I still love Rocinante with all my being but he’s back in Storybrooke,” Regina replied before patting the horse. “And so I met Ozzy.”

“Oh okay,” Henry understood. “So you have Rocinante, and Mom can ride Ozzy, now I need one.”

“Okay Kid for starters the only way you’d be getting a horse is if you had two years’ worth of lesson and we win the lottery,” Emma told him. “Secondly, I’m not getting on any horse. No way, I’ll stick to my car thank you very much.”

Regina rolled her eyes and was about to reply when Snow and David made their way over.

“Are you both ready?” the giddy queen asked Emma and Regina, who both nodded. “Excellent, I wish you all the best of luck.”

“You sure you’ll be okay here, Snow?” Emma asked and the woman nodded without hesitation.

“My people need me here, ruling the kingdom. Anyway, if I didn’t stay, who’d look after young mister Henry?”

Henry grinned at that and Regina felt a sharp sting of jealously.

“Yeah, thanks for looking after him. Me and Regina really appreciate it.”

_Me and Regina…_

Her mood instantly perked up again.

“Don’t you two worry,” she assured them. “We’ll be just fine here.”

“Speaking of which,” David interrupted. “Regina, we’d best get going.”

Regina nodded and moved to get up onto Ozzy.

While Emma and Henry shared one final hug, she looked over and caught sight of Snow and David kissing goodbye. It was cringy and over the top but still, she felt that sting of jealousy again.

 _Damn it Regina,_ she thought to herself. _You’re ridiculously love-struck._

“Regina,” Emma called up, snapping her out of her thoughts. “What am I doing? Do I go in a carriage or something?”

“No silly,” she replied, holding her hand out. “Come up here with me.”

Emma instantly took a step back.

“No way. Like I said, no horses.”

Regina rolled her eyes again.

“Oh come on. I’ll be one in control, all you have to do is hold onto my waist.”

Regina frowned when she saw Emma blush but it seemed to persuade her either way. Helping Emma up, she smiled when she felt her arms wrap around her.

“This could work,” Emma approved, her chin resting on Regina’s shoulder.

“I’m glad you approve,” Regina chuckled before looking down to Henry, who had moved to stand by Snow.

They both waved to him and he waved back, watching them go as they left through the castle gate, beginning their journey.


	42. Homecoming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for the comments and kudos! Sorry this chapter is a little late but I've had uni work I've needed to get done :/ Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

For most of the journey she’d been fine, spending time with Emma and admiring the beautiful landscape of the land, one of its few redeeming qualities.

Then, as they met a fork in the road and went left, her heart began beating fast.

She knew this road well, having travelled on it many times. To her, it signified one thing; home. And that wasn’t a good thing.

Emma must have felt her tense as she instantly moved to rub her back.

“Hey, you okay?”

“Of course,” Regina lied. “Why do you ask?”

“Because you’re whole body just went stiff and you’ve just lied to me.”

“I’m not lying,” Regina said defensively.

“Superpower,” Emma reminded her. “I know when you’re lying. Only reason I found out about all this is ‘cause you started lying. So tell me what’s wrong?”

The former queen sighed and shook her head.

“It’s nothing, Emma.”

“Well it clearly is something so you’d better tell me before I get David over here.”

“You wouldn’t.”

She felt Emma turn behind her.

“Hey David!” she called, not loud enough to get the King’s attention as he was right at the back of the party. It was enough to get Regina to give in though.

“Fine,” she huffed. “I…I don’t like going home.”

“Not a happy place for you?”

Regina couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.

“The only happy place I’ve ever had is back in Storybrooke, with you and Henry.”

There was a pause before she felt Emma’s arms wrap around her again.

“Yeah well it’s going to be different. Because this isn’t your home anymore, and you have me by your side.”

That did make her feel better. Now, this was just another place she’d lived before, and, although they were for now just friends, having Emma with her certainly helped.

“Thank you, Emma.”

“I mean every word,” Emma replied and although she knew that already, it made Regina smile.

 

Once they approached the gates to her family’s vast estate, Regina could instantly sense her mother’s magic.

Getting down from Ozzy and holding a hand up to Emma telling her to stay back, she approached the gate. When she was close enough, she held out her hand and, sure enough, the tips of her fingers were zapped by the force field, as spiteful as the woman who conjured it.

“Ah fuck,” Regina cursed, clutching her hand.

“Regina?” Emma called over, getting down from Ozzy awkwardly. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she quickly assured her. “Just stay back.”

Her words went unnoticed however, as Emma was soon by her side.

“What was that?”

“My mother has put up a magical barrier to stop anyone from getting in.”

“She’s definitely hiding something here then,” Emma commented. “Can you get through it?”

“I don’t know,” Regina replied, racking her brain for any way to do just that. Before she could come up with a plan, David and Red had joined them.

“What’s this?” David questioned.

“The bitch has locked us out,” Emma huffed, making Regina tut.

“Honestly Emma.”

“What? She is.”

“I know but can you please not speak so crudely while I’m trying to think.”

“It’s okay,” Red assured her. “Just take your time.”

“You don’t need to tell her that,” Emma snapped.

“Excuse me?” Red frowned. “I’m only trying to help.”

“Yeah, well you’re not. Just leave Regina alone. She knows what she’s doing.”

“I know, I’m just trying to be helpful, giving her some encouragement.”

“Yeah well you’re not helping,” Emma told her. “And if anyone’s going to encourage her, it’s gonna be me.”

“Ladies,” David spoke up. “This isn’t helping anyone.”

“She started it,” Emma replied, making Red put up her hands defensively.

“Like I said, I was just trying to be helpful. Why are you being like this?”

“Because I’m tired, I smell, and my butt hurts. Forgive me if I’m not in the best of moods.”

“And how is any of that my fault?”

“Because on top of all that, you’re pissing me off.”

That did it. Regina was at her wits end.

Conjuring a fist full of magic, she took charged for the barrier and punched it. Despite the difficulty and the pain, her hand went clean through and the barrier disappeared.

It sucked the air from Regina’s lungs and she stumbled back, struggling to catch her breathe. Luckily Emma was quick and caught her before she hit the ground.

“You okay? Are you hurt? Do we need to find a hospital?”

“There aren’t any hospitals,” Regina told her as she coughed and gasped. “But I’m fine either way.”

“Good,” Emma said with a sigh of relief, helping her to her feet. “So you did it. One point to us.”

Regina looked to were the barrier had been and shook her head.

“No, that was way too easy.”

“That was easy?” Emma questioned. “Looked as though it hurt like hell.”

“It did,” Regina nodded. “But it’s too easy for my mother.”

“What should we do?” David asked. “Should we go ahead?”

Regina looked to Emma who just stared back, awaiting her answer. Considering her options for a moment, she moved back to Ozzy and took hold of his reigns.

“It’s too late to turn back now.”

Everyone looked to David, who, after a moment for consideration, nodded in agreement.

“Let’s get in there and everyone keep your guard up.”

Regina led them as they entered the estate, Emma walking by her side.

It certainly did seem like a fitting homecoming.


	43. Wall of Glass

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all the comments and kudos! Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

Everything was almost exactly as she remembered. The only thing that had touched the estate was time, the house filled with dust and the grounds overgrown. To Regina it was fitting. Now it finally resembled the nightmare it had always been to her.

The knights did a sweep of the house and found none of Cora’s few but ruthlessly loyal followers waiting to attack. Once they had the all clear, she, David, and Emma were finally allowed to enter.

“Regina, watch where you’re going down here, its dark,” Emma told her as Regina took the lead down to the cellar.

Regina sighed and ignited a fireball in her hand.

“Happy now?”

“I guess, just be careful.”

“Ladies,” David spoke up. “Can we please get on with it? I hate the dark.”

Regina chuckled at that. Some mighty warrior he was.

“Stop complaining,” she told him. “If it bothers you that much go back upstairs.”

“No, I’m here to represent the crown and I need to be present.”

“Alright but can you represent the crown without all the childish whingeing,” Regina huffed as she finally made it to the large brass door she was looking for. “I’ve got to concentrate.”

“What’s this?” Emma asked, moving forward to touch it but Regina quickly stopped her.

“Don’t touch it,” she warned her. “It’s covered in magic.”

Emma instantly edged away while David moved forward.

“What are you going to do about it?”

“You’re not going to punch it, are you?” Emma added.

“No I’m not,” Regina assured her. “The magic here is special, bounded to the person who casts it.”

“So we can’t get in?” David questioned.

“I never said that,” she replied. “This is protected by blood marked and luckily in this case, I have her blood coursing through my veins.”

“More like fifty/fifty,” Emma corrected her, earning pointed look. “Sorry.”

Regina shook her head, extinguishing the fireball in her hand before pulling a small dagger from her belt, bringing the point of the blade to her fingertip. Before she could break skin, Emma took hold of her arm and pulled it away.

“What are you doing?”

“We need my blood,” Regina told her. “Otherwise we can’t get in.”

“I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

“I won’t,” Regina assured her, boringly the blade to her fingertip again and carefully breaking her skin with the tip. “See,” she showed her the tiny amount of blood. “That’s it.”

Emma frowned but nodded in acceptance, stepping back while Regina moved forward,

Carefully touching they tip of her finger to the metal door, the magic disappeared and the door creaked open.

“Well that was easy,” David commented and both women shushed him.

“Don’t say that,” Emma hissed. “Now something bad is going to happen.”

“Don’t say that either,” Regina huffed back. “Now we’re definitely fucked.”

“Hey, no need for that language,” David snapped but Emma instantly defended her.

“As long as she’s not around Henry, Regina can swear as much as she likes.”

“But its crude,” David argued.

“It’s hot,” she corrected him.

Regina rolled her eyes.

Okay, I’m crude and hot, now can we focus?”

Once both of them silenced, she re-ignited the fireball in her palm.

Taking a step forward, as soon as she entered the room a bright light appeared from the ceiling. Once her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw who was sat under it.

“Daddy!”

She ran towards him only to find a glass barrier between them.

Her hands pressed against the glass, she took in his appearance. He looked a lot thinner, a lot older. There was a large bruise on his face and his nose looked broken. Anger rose within her. How dare she treat him in such a way?!

“Regina,” he called to her, his voice strained and weak. “You need to go. It’s a trap.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll get you out of here,” she told him before trying to break the glass with her magic yet nothing seemed to work.

“No, it’s a trick. You need to get your friends far away from here.”

“No, not till I get you out of here,” she said as she tried to zap the glass, not even creating a hairline crack.

It was then that a hooded figure appeared from the shadows, holding a baton in their hand. Striding towards her father, the figure lifted the weapon and struck him across the face.

“NO!” Regina cried, blasting the glass with all the magic she could muster as she watched the figure strike her father over and over again. She could see blood, hear his cries. Yet she was couldn’t help him.

With an anguished cry, she began punching the glass. Over and over until cracks began to show. All the time, the hooded figure continued his attack. She was going to kill him when she got through, her anger was too far gone to prevent it.

“Regina!” Emma cried, rushing to her side, trying to pull her away. “Stop it! You’re hurting yourself!”

Emma was right. Her fist as covered in blood and she was in intense pain, from that and using so much magic. But she couldn’t stop. She had to save him.

She hit the same spot over and over until finally her hand went through and the whole glass wall fell, to reveal nothing.

Emma instantly wrapped both hands round her bleeding arm but there was too many cuts for her to cover them all. Regina didn’t even notice though. She just stared into the nothingness.

“W-where is he? Where did he go?”

David moved up and picked up one of the shards of glass.

“It was a mirror,” he told her, showing the reflective surface. “He was never here.”

“N-no,” she whimpered, her voice as she broke down in tears. Her father was right, it was all just a trick. He was never even here.

“Regina, we need to get you upstairs,” Emma told her calmly, holding onto her arm tightly. “You’re losing a lot of blood.”

Through her tears, she nodded and allowed Emma to escort her away.

Yet after a few steps, she began to feel lightheaded. She managed two more steps until she was suddenly falling. Falling into darkness.


	44. And then I go and spoil it all by saying something stupid like I....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all the comments and kudos! Sorry for the late update but assignments grrrr! Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

The first thing Regina saw when she opened her eyes was Emma, the sunlight shining on her in such a way that at first she thought it was an angel. Once she gathered her bearings and saw it was in fact her angel, she smiled and lifted a hand, brushing her fingers across her cheek.

“Beautiful,” she whispered and Emma laughed.

“Hey there, charmer,” she teased, taking Regina’s hand in her own. “You’ve give us quite a scare there.”

Regina frowned and tried to sit up, only to wince as a sharp pain went up her arm.

“Yeah, you don’t wanna do that,” Emma told her, helping her lay back down. “Your arms pretty messed up.”

Regina looked and saw her right arm was wrapped in thick bandages.

“What happened?”

“You punched through glass and lost a lot of blood,” Emma replied. “You passed out but the fairy said that was because you’d used more magic than your body could handle.”

“Ugh,” Regina grimaced. “Which flying jellyfish was it?”

“The blue one.”

“Fuck sake,” Regina groaned. “Excuse my language.”

“No worries,” Emma laughed again. “You sound more and more like me every day.”

“Is that good or bad?”

“Definitely good.”

Regina smiled again, squeezing Emma’s hand.

“How long was I asleep?”

“A few days,” Emma answered. “Don’t worry, the fairy has been and gone.”

“A few days? What’s been happening?”

“Nothing much, while the fairy was here she looked at was left of the mirror. She could sense your mother’s magic.”

“Yes, I guessed,” Regina nodded. “I’m angry at myself for not realising it was one of my mother’s trick. It must have just been me being hopeful that it’d be that simple.”

“Don’t you dare blame yourself,” Emma told her. “What she did was pure cruelty. It was sick and twisted, totally evil.”

“Yep, that’s my mother,” Regina replied before looking to the nightstand. “Can I have some of that water?”

“Crap yeah sorry, I should have asked,” Emma babbled, letting go of Regina’s hand to pour her a glass. She helped Regina sit up before handing her the drink. “So your mom’s done stuff like this before? I mean I know you had a difficult relationship but that was….”

“Heartless? Yes, she’s always done stuff like this,” Regina replied, taking a sip of the water before continuing. “When I was a child, she always had a fondness for strange and unusual punishments. More than she was fond of me. She wanted me to be tough, see the world as she saw it. And she managed that in a way. Look what I eventually became. She made me into the monster she wanted.”

“You’re not a monster,” Emma was quick to speak up. “I’ve told you before and I’ll tell you for the rest of my life if I had to, you’re not the monster. She’s the monster.”

“Well you don’t see people calling her the Evil Queen,” Regina pointed out. “Most people are calling her the ‘Evil Queen’s mother’.”

Emma sighed and stood up. For the first time Regina realised that Emma had been sat on a little wooden stool beside the bed. Looking around suddenly, it was then she registered she was in her childhood room. It looked at lot smaller than she remembered. Much brighter with Emma in the room.

Emma lay down next to her on the bed, careful not to knock her injured hand.

“Don’t worry about what they’re saying. Soon enough, me, you, Henry, and your dad are outta here. You’ll be mayor again and I’ll be sheriff.  None of this will matter. We won’t even look back.”

“That sounds good,” Regina smiled once more. “That sounds really good.”

 

Despite Emma’s protests, Regina was up and walking about as soon as her legs were able to keep her upright. The stitches in her arm were still irritating her and she had a killer headache but she pushed through it, making her way round to the large dining room.

“Regina!” Red grinned as soon as she saw her, putting down her chicken leg to get up and greet her. “It’s good to see you up and awake!”

She moved to hug her but Emma was quick to get in the way.

“She’s still recovering,” she told the wolf. “No hugs until she’s both feeling better and has hugged me first.”

Red gave her some serious side-eye before smiling at Regina again.

“Well just pretend that I’ve hugged you.”

“Dually noted,” Regina nodded, not missing the scowl that appeared on Emma’s face.

Red nodded and returned to her food. Once she was out of earshot, Emma huffed.

“Doesn’t she know not to manhandle someone who’s injured?”

“My, my, look who’s jealous,” she teased, making the sheriff blush bright red.

“I’m not jealous,” Emma snapped like an embarrassed child. Regina could help but chuckle.

“Don’t you worry,” she assured her, tucking a strand of golden hair behind Emma’s ear. “I only have eyes for one person, and one person only.”

“Oh yeah?” Emma instantly perked up. “Tell me about her?”

Regina pretended to think for a moment before answering.

“Well she can be a bit of an idiot sometimes, can be a little clumsy, swears a lot.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, get to the good stuff,” Emma encouraged impatiently, making Regina laugh again.

“Well she’s very noble, being a woman of the law and all. She’s a great mother, incredibly caring, kind of funny.”

“Kind of? I’m hilarious.”

Regina rolled her eyes before carrying on.

“She’s the greatest person I’ve ever known. I was so lucky to find her and I love her so much it makes me feel as though I’m flying.”

Emma stared at her, a light smile on her face. She looked as though she wanted to say something, as though it were on the tip of her tongue but the words just wouldn’t come out. Then, finally, she opened her mouth to reply.

“I…”

“Regina!” David’s voice booming voice interrupted her as he walked towards them. “It’s good to see you’re better.”

“Thank you, David,” she forced a smile. “I’m feeling much better but not completely healed quite yet.”

She motioned to her bandage, almost pristine except for a few spots of blood here and there.

“Yes, but that will heal in time,” he assured her. “We found a carriage at the back of the house that we can transport you back to our palace in.”

“We’re leaving?”

“Tomorrow at noon,” he replied. “I wish to be reunited with my wife and I’m sure you are both eager to see young Henry.”

“That we are,” Regina nodded. “We’ll be all ready to go by noon.”

“Very well,” he nodded. “Please, eat as much as you can. We have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow.”

As soon as David walked away, Regina looked back to Emma.

“What was it you wanted to say?”

“Huh?” Emma pretended to be confused but Regina saw right through it.

“Before Dvaid interrupted,” Regina prompted her. “You were about to say something.”

“Oh, nothing important,” Emma shrugged it off way too quickly. “Come on, let’s eat.”

Regina followed her to the table with a slight frown. What had Emma wanted to say? And why was she scared to now?

She had an idea of what it might be but she quickly shook it off. It was just her being hopeful.


	45. Back to You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all the comments and kudos! Managed to get this chapter done on time for one haha. Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

They were not long on the road when they found a tree down in the road, forcing them to take an alternate route.

Emma had fallen asleep on her shoulder while Regina looked out of the carriage window, allowing herself to drift off into a daydream.

Carriage rides always seemed to make her imagination run away with itself. As a child, she’d dreamed up epic quests that would make her travel far from home. Then she met Daniel and her daydreams became much more romantic, of them sharing a tiny cottage in the forest with ten children and a simple life. After she died, her daydreams were more runaway fantasies, until her anger consumed her and they became about death and destruction.

This time, she wasn’t dreaming off the forest surrounding her. No, she was thinking of a land far, far away with picket fences and painted mailboxes. Cooking a gigantic meal ready for Emma to come home with the help of Henry. The three of them laughing at the dinner table before cuddling up in front of the TV. A simple evening routine ending with kisses goodnight and falling asleep in Emma’s arms. No worries, no wars, just love.

She’d gotten so wrapped up in her little fantasy that she barely paid any attention to the changing landscape around her.

Then, she noticed something.

“Stop the carriage!” she called, causing Emma to shake from her slumber.

“Huh? What’s happening? Are we under attack?”

“We’re fine, I just need to get out,” Regina replied before knocking on the room of the carriage. “Hey, stop the carriage!”

“What’s wrong?” Emma asked as the carriage began to slow to a halt. “Are your stitches pulling?”

“No, I’m fine,” Regina waved her off. “I need to get out.”

She opened the carriage door but Emma quickly leaned over and shut it.

“Regina, will you please tell me what’s going on.”

“I recognise that tree,” she said, pointing to a twisted tree towering above the rest, like the ruins of a giant beanstalk. “I know where we are and I felt something important here. I have to go get it.”

Emma still looked confused but let go of the door. Regina wasted no time in jumping out of the carriage and darting into the trees.

“Regina?!” she heard David’s voice call after her. “What are you doing?!”

“I got this, David!” Emma answered and soon Regina heard the familiar sound of the sheriff’s feet coming up behind her. She didn’t pay that much attention to it though. Her mind was locked on something else.

Soon enough, she found the place she was looking for.

The field on top of a hill, looking over the valley below. Then there was the tree, standing there as though it had been waiting for her return.

Racing up the hill, she was almost there when Emma took her hand, getting her to stop.

“Regina,” she said breathlessly. “What are you doing?”

“Daniel,” she said, pointing to the tree. “I left his ring here, under the tree.”

“But it’s back in Storybrooke,” Emma frowned. “It’s in the bad memory box.”

“Yes, but it’s not that simple,” Regina told her. “The man who followed me back in Storybrooke gave it to me. It was the real thing and he somehow had it but to the best of my knowledge, the only people who knew I hid it here were dead not long after. So how could he know?”

“I don’t understand,” Emma replied and Regina nodded.

“Neither do I but I at least have to look. Now that I’m here.”

Emma stared at her for a moment before sighing in defeat and letting go of her hand. Regina gave her quick smile before running the rest of the way to the tree. She knew exactly where she’d buried it- on the side looking out over the valley, between tow roots that grew out in a crude heart-shape. The best her magic could do in the state she’d been that day.

Kneeling down, she waving her hand over the earth. The dirt shifted and there it was, just as she’d left it.

Picking it up by the chain, she dangled it before her and studied it carefully. She knew there were many great forgers in this land, having commissioned them herself several times. Yet she knew this ring like she would an old friend. Every blemish and imperfection was engraved in her emory. And this was definitely the real thing.

“Holy shit,” Emma breathed. “Is it really it?”

“It is,” Regina nodded.

“So the one in Storybrooke is fake?”

“No,” Regina shook her head, getting to her feet. “That’s real too.”

“But…that’s impossible.”

Regina couldn’t help but laugh at that.

“You thought the same about magic not long ago, yet here we are.”

“Fair point,” Emma nodded. “But still, what does this mean? How could he have it then, but you have it now? See, I can’t even say it properly. This is seriously messed up.”

“That it is,” Regina agreed. “But at least we have something.”

“Yeah but if anything it just further complicates things,” Emma pointed out, making Regina chuckle again.

“Well that’s us, Miss Swan. Incredibly complicated.”

She’d expected Emma to sass her back with some clever remark that would narrowly hit the landing. But instead, she shrugged.

“It doesn’t have to be.”

“It doesn’t?” Regina smirked in amusement. “Emma, we’re in the middle of a war, my mother has gone twice as psycho as she was before, and we’ve joined forces with my mortal enemies, some of whom I’ve actually started to _like_. I don’t see how any of that could be made not-complicated?”

“Maybe not, but maybe we don’t have to be complicated.”

“We?”

“Yeah,” Emma nodded. “You and me, Regina and Emma, Swan and Mills, Sheriff and Mayor.”

“What are you saying?” Regina asked, frightened to get her hopes up.

“I’m saying,” Emma began, reaching over and taking her hand, “that I don’t see the point in holding back anymore. At first I thought I could but then I spent time with you again and I was hooked. Then you got hurt and I was so worried, that your stitches wouldn’t hold and you’d bleed to death or that you’d never wake up from your sleep. Even if I had wanted to, I wouldn’t have been able to leave your side. And although you’re fine, I realised that we’re at war and anything could happen. Any day I could lose you and I don’t want to waste another moment with you. So I’m not holding back anymore, I’m not going to keep pushing you away. So, if it’s cool with you, I’d very much like it if you kissed me right now.”

Regina could feel the tears tingling her eyes, and the uncontrollable smile that had appeared on her face. Yet she also felt as though she was out of her body, as though she was on some celestial plain of overwhelming happiness.

Then for a mere moment she looked passed Emma and she fell back to earth.

A hooded man had appeared from the trees from which they’d came, bow in his hand with arrow at the ready.

Before Regina could react, he drew his bow, arrow aimed and ready. She barely had enough time to push Emma out of the way before he released it.


	46. I Hate This Part

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thanks for all the comments and kudos! Sorry for the late chapter (again) life's been unexpectedly crazy the last few days. Anyway, like always I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Also apologise for any mistake in first aid I'm going off what I can remember from Grey's Anatomy so is in no way accurate. Hope you all enjoy!

Emma hit the ground with a thud, completely confused as to what was happening. One minute Regina had been smiling from ear to ear and the next she was pushing her over.

 _What a way to reject someone_ , she thought.

Yet it was then, when she looked up, that she realised what had happened.

Regina stood there, blood on her shirt with an arrow in her side.

Emma was a reactionary person. If she were in a horror movie, she wouldn’t be one of those people who’d stand there in horror as the killer attacked.

She barely even thought about it as soon as she spotted the man, retrieving another arrow. Before he even had chance to place it on his bow, she’d pulled her gun and shot him in both knees. He instantly fell to the ground, dropping his gun in the process.

Once she was sure he was down, Emma looked back to Regina, who had now noticed her injury. A shaking hand moved to towards the arrow and the sheriff instantly jumped back into action.

“Don’t pull it out,” she told her calmly. “You need to leave it.”

“E-Emma,” she mumbled in reply

For a moment she wasn’t sure if Regina registered what she’d said. Yet when she lowered her hand, Emma allowed herself to relax a little.

Getting to her feet, she cautiously approached Regina, not wanting to spook her in her panicked state.

“Okay good, now you need to put your hand over the wound and apply pressure. I’ll help you, okay?”

Regina stared at her for a moment before her knees gave way. Rushing forward, Emma caught her, careful not to knock the arrow in any way.

Laying her down on the ground, Emma applied pressure to the wound, the arrow in-between her fingers. Regina was breathing way too quickly, letting out little whimpers that broke the sheriff’s heart piece by piece.

“Regina, babe, you need to calm down. You’re going to be fine, okay. Completely fine.”

On the outside, she was fine. On the inside, she was panicking just as much as much as her love. She’d been on more first aid and first responder crash courses than she could keep count yet suddenly her mind had gone completely blank.

Mentally cursing herself, she rattled her brain in an attempt to force it to work. She’d done this before. Heck, just before Regina had come to town she’d had to ride in the ambulance with a stupid kid who got in a knife fight at the docks. Now, when the woman she loved was before her in the same situation, her mind froze.

“Emma,” Regina said again, reaching for her. “Emma, the archer.”

“I dealt with it,” Emma assured her, glancing over her shoulder and seeing the man still on the ground, writhing in pain. Good, she thought angrily. If anything happens to Regina, that guy is gonna go through a world of hurt.

“Good,” Regina smiled. “You’re safe.”

“I am and you are too,” Emma told her. “We’re going to have you in tip-top shape in no time.”

Looking around, she saw David and Red appearing through the trees, followed by a small group of guards.

“David!” she called. “Regina’s hurt!”

David and Red instantly ran over, the guards spotting the guy on the ground and rushing to detain him.

“What happened?” David asked as he moved to kneel down besides Regina. “We heard you gun.”

“That jackass over there started shooting arrows at us. I shot the bastard but he managed to get Regina.”

David looked at the blood covering Regina’s side and stomach with a grimace.

“We need to move her, get her back to the castle.”

“No,” Regina mumbled, shaking her head. “No, no.”

“Babe, I know but we’re going to have to move you,” Emma told her softly.

Red moved her cloak and with one movement, ripped the sleeve off her shirt.

“Wrap this around the wound,” she said, at which Emma scoffed.

“Yeah that’s going to work with an arrow poking out of her.”

“Ladies, now is not the time,” David told them. “Emma, you should let Red handle this.”

“What? Why?”

“Because I know what I’m doing,” Red snapped. “So we can stand here arguing all day or we could save Regina’s life.”

“I vote for the later,” Regina croaked out, making Emma chuckle.

“Okay, babe,” she smiled, reluctantly moving aside to let Red get to work, instead taking Regina’s hand. “You hang in there, alright?”

“I’m trying,” Regina replied, squeezing her hand tightly. “Please don’t leave me.”

“I’ll never leave you,” Emma assured her. “Never ever.”

“Never ever,” Regina repeated. “I like the sound of that.”

“So do I,” Emma smiled.

A sharp snap made them both jump.

“Ah,” Regina winced but Emma quickly shushed her soothingly.

“It’s okay, babe, it’s okay,” she spoke to her softly before shooting Red a glare, only to see what she’d done and look down in horror. “What the hell?”

“It’s better this way,” Red told her, throwing the snapped end of the arrow aside.

Emma was about to argue back but she heard Regina murmur her name.

“Em-ma.”

Her voice was weakening with every word she spoke. Brining her attention back to her, Emma leaned closer so she could hear her.

“Hey,” she smiled, squeezing her hand.

“Em-ma,” Regina said again. “If anything happens to me…”

“Nothing’s going to happen to you,” Emma insisted but Regina ignored her.

“If anything happens to me, you need to take Henry and go home. Get as far away from my mother as you can.”

“I will,” Emma nodded. “But nothing is going to happen to you. You and me are for keeps, remember.”

“You and I,” Regina corrected her weakly. “But you need to promise me also that you’ll move on with your life. Don’t get consumed with anger. Just forget about all this and be happy, both of you.”

“Regina…” she went to argue but Regina cut her off.

“Promise me, Emma.”

She tried to hold her own but in the end let out a sigh of defeat.

“Alright, I promise.”

“Good,” Regina smiled before her eyes rolled back in her head before fluttering shut.

“Regina!” Emma cried, trying to shake her. “Regina!”

“Shit,” Red cursed, clambering over Emma to lift Regina’s eyelids. “We need to get her out of her now!”

David didn’t need telling twice.

“Emma, you need to let go of her hand,” he told her softly and the sheriff nodded before placing a quick kiss to Regina’s knuckles.

“I love you, Regina,” she whispered before allowing her hand to slip away.

 In one movement he pulled Regina into his arm and got to his feet.

And then they were running. Running to save Regina’s life.


	47. Last Hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all the comments and kudos! Finally I've managed to get a chapter done on schedule! Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

Emma had been pacing outside the room so long that she was surprised she’d not worn through the floor yet. They’d been in there for hours, working on saving Regina, yet it had felt more like an eternity.

At first they’d tried to make it back to Snow and David’s palace but Red said they’d never make it in time. Regina’s old castle, the castle Emma knew had been a prison for her all those years, was closer so changed their course for there. A guard rushed off to send word to Snow but in all honesty Emma couldn’t care less about any of that. She just needed Regina to be okay.

Her mind kept jumping from one thing to the other. How she would care for Regina if she recovered. What would happen if she was forced to make decisions of Regina’s behalf. If anything did happen to her, what would she tell Henry.

That was the hardest one. She knew her son adored Regina, almost as much as she did. Which was a hell of a lot. In all honesty, what she would tell Henry wasn’t really the issue. She’d just tell him straight what’d happened and comfort him. Problem was whether she would be able to. As far as she knew Regina was still alive and she was already a wreck. If she lost her…

Emma almost wished the door would never open. It was a philosophy thing if she remembered right. Something about leaving a cat in a box and it not being dead or alive until you open it. It was pretty messed up either way. Anyway, as long as the door was shut, Regina was still holding on, still with her. When that door opened, she’d either be dead or alive, simple as that.

Though she desperately wanted the news that she’d make a full recover, Emma knew losing the woman she loved would no doubt kill her in a way. If that had to be the outcome, she was happy to stay naïve. Because right now she was living in a world were Regina Mills was still alive and that was the only world she wanted.

A door opened but it wasn’t _the_ door, it was one at the far side of the corridor. She looked over and was Henry running towards her.

“Mom!” he cried and that was it, Emma was crying and running to meet him halfway. Once they met half way, she pulled him into her arms and held him tightly.

“Kid, I’m so glad you’re here.”

Henry allowed her to embrace him for a few moments before pushing out of her arms so he could meet her gaze.

“Snow said Regina was hurt. Is she okay?”

Emma sighed and run her fingers over his messy hair.

“She’s hurt pretty bad, Kid,” she told him honestly. “But there are a lot of people trying to help her and Regina strong.”

“Stronger than my dad was?”

She should have known this would come up but she’d been so wrapped up what was happened that she’d forgot what had happened to Neal. It was awful really and she felt a pang of guilt in her chest.

“I can’t say for sure,” Emma told him. “Your dad…he wasn’t who I thought he was. And I didn’t think I knew who Regina really was but turns out I always did. And I think she’s strong enough to get through this.”

Henry nodded in understanding.

“I don’t want Regina to die,” he said and Emma had to bite her lip to stop herself falling to pieces.

“Neither do I,” she said, her voice cracking at the end, forcing her to quickly compose herself before continuing. “But we’ve got to have hope, okay?”

Henry nodded again, wiping a tear from his cheek with his sleeve.

“Yeah, we’ve got to believe.”

Henry had always been good at believing in people, much better than her. Maybe it was because he was still a kid, or because she’d been through so much. He’d believed in Regina without a fault, something she couldn’t honestly say. Still she believed now and she hoped that would be enough.

Before they could say much more, the door to the room opened making them both turn to look. David walked out and Emma’s heart instantly dropped. He was pale, sickeningly pale.

“Henry,” he put on a smile when he spotted the boy. “Good to see you. Is Snow with you?”

“She’s downstairs waiting,” Henry replied. “How’s Regina?”

David looked to Emma and that told u all she needed to know.

“Kid, why don’t you go fetch Snow.”

“No,” he refused. “I want to see Regina.”

“You will,” she promised him. “But we need Snow here too. After all, you’re much quicker than me.”

Henry reluctantly nodded before running off to the stairs. Once she was sure he was out of earshot, she addressed David.

“Give it to be straight, no sugar-coating.”

“Well she’s alive,” he told her and Emma felt a surge of relief. “Red managed to stop the bleeding and once Blue arrived she was able to do the rest. She’ll have a small scar but otherwise, it’ll be as though it never happened.”

“Oh thank god,” she gasped, holding her stomach that felt like it was doing summersaults. “Is she awake yet?”

David paused for a moment and the sudden rush of happiness she felt came crashing down.

“What is it?” she asked and when he didn’t reply she got snappy. “For fuck sake David, tell me what’s wrong with her!”

“They’d healed her hours ago, Emma, and she hasn’t woken up.”

Emma frowned at that.

“But…isn’t that normal? I mean, she’s been through quite an ordeal.”

“Maybe it Blue hadn’t used magic but that…complicates things.”

Emma instantly saw red and charged passed him into the room. Her eyes instantly clocked on the fairy fluttering by the window and, faster than a pouncing tiger, she grabbed her and held her tight in her hands.

“What the hell did you do to her?!”

“Emma!” Red cried. “Let her go!”

“No, she used magic and made Regina worse!”

“No!” the fairy cried, shaking her little head frantically. “It wasn’t my magic!”

“But David said…”

“I worded it wrong!” David insisted as he ran into the room. “I meant that Blue using her magic should have made her wake up almost instantly.”

Emma frowned again, letting the fairy go.

“But Regina was out for days the last time Blue used magic on her?”

“Yes, because the magic of the mirror cancelled out mine and made it less affective,” Blue explained. “Then there was also the fact Regina had used so much magic. That was something I could not help.”

Emma was still suspicious of the fairy but nodded in acknowledgement.

“Alright, then what’s wrong with her?”

“Blue examined the arrow head,” David told her. “It was lined with a curse, a sleeping curse like that Regina herself used on Snow.”

“Alright,” Emma said again, folding her arms. “How do we fix it?”

No one replied, David and Red sharing a glance. Emma let out a sigh of frustration.

“Oh come on, if you woke up Snow there must be a way.”

“There is a way,” David nodded. “Only the one.”

“Okay, well whatever it is we can manage it. No matter what we can do it. I can do it. For Regina.”

David glanced to Red again, who nodded before meeting Emma’s gaze.

“The only way to wake up Regina is with true loves kiss.”

Emma’s spirit instantly dropped.

“Oh.”


	48. It's Magic, You Know

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks fo all the comments and kudos! Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

Emma fund herself sat alone at Regina’s bedside yet again, holding her limp hand in hers. Just days ago, when she’d been in this very same situation, she was just waiting. Not just hoping but knowing she’d see those big brown eyes and that breath-taking smile again soon. This time, she didn’t even have the hope part.

Drawing light circles against Regina’s skin with her thumb, she wondered if Regina was dreaming. No one had really explained to her how the curse really worked. Was it really like sleeping or was that just a name given to it? And if so, what was really happening? Was Regina locked in her head? Could she hear her? Or was she just completely shut down, not there at all?

Though she didn’t like the thought of any of it, she preferred to think of her as sleeping, maybe dreaming up a happy ending for them and Henry. Sleeping would also mean she was going to wake up and not be stuck like this forever. That’s what worried Emma the most.

The door creaked open, bringing her out of her thoughts. Looking around, she saw Red enter. She half expected the wolf to give her a telling off but instead brought a chair over and sat down next to her.

“Are you alright?”

Emma was surprised by the question but refused to show it. Just answered by shaking her head.

“I’m far from alright.”

Red nodded in understanding and looked over Regina’s sleeping form.

“She looks peaceful.”

“She always does when she’s sleeping,” Emma replied with a soft smile and Red nodded again.

“I know,” she said before quickly clarifying when Emma gave her a look. “Nothing like that. It was when we travelled here the first time, when we found Cora. We all camped together in the forest, totally not romantic.”

Emma didn’t reply, just looked back to Regina.

“I know you don’t like me,” Red spoke up. “And I think I’ve guessed why. I just don’t understand why you’d be thinking like that?”

“Like what?”

“Like Regina would have eyes for anyone but you.”

Emma shook her head.

“I don’t want to talk about this.”

“Well it’s either we talk about this or the other elephant in the room,” Red told her. “You’re choice.”

After a few moments of consideration, Emma let out a sigh of defeat.

“Look, I don’t like that while I wasn’t here, you and Regina got close. That doesn’t make me jealous though.”

“No, it doesn’t” Red agreed. “It makes you insecure.”

Emma went to argue but found she couldn’t. She let out a huff of frustration.

“Okay, maybe I am insecure but that doesn’t make my feelings stupid, okay? I have a right to feel this way.”

“No you don’t actually,” Red countered. “From what I’ve heard you broke her heart.”

“She lied!”

“Doesn’t matter. Anyway, as I was saying. You let her go. Sure you were having trouble getting your head around all this, like I’ve been having whenever anyone talks about your world. But still, if anything had happened between Regina and I, which by the way it most definitely did not, you’d have not ground on which you could complain. That’s why you really don’t like me. Because you’ve realised how close you were to messing this up and put all those feelings on me so you don’t have to feel them.”

Emma stared at her for a moment with a soft frown.

“What are you, a psychologist?”

Once she’d said it, Emma realised Red may not have any idea what she was talking about. But when the wolf laughed, she knew she’d understood.

“I have been spending a lot of time with Jiminy Cricket recently. I’m not as good as him though. Maybe I should get him here so he can talk some sense into you.”

“Huh?”

Red laughed at that.

“Oh come on, Emma. Why haven’t you kissed her yet?!”

Emma looked back to Regina and sighed.

“I’m scared.”

“Scared?” Red questioned. “What could you possibly be scared of?”

“That it doesn’t work,” Emma admitted.

“Oh Emma, you have nothing to worry about. She loves you and Henry more than anything.”

“Yeah I know, I’m not worried about Regina,” she explained. “It’s me.”

“You?”

“Yeah,” Emma nodded. “I mean I love her with everything I have but what if that isn’t enough. I’m damaged, I keep walls up and I don’t let people in. What if my love isn’t enough?”

“Emma, that’s not the way it works,” Red explained.

“It’s not?”

“No, true love is special. It’s pure and unconditional. And after all you two have been through in the last few weeks it shows you can love her no matter what. I mean you find out she used to be a murderous tyrant and you still look at her like she’s an angel.”

“She’s my angel,” Emma said with a smile, brushing her hand lightly against her hair. “And to be honest I can see how she ended up that way. You all treated her like crap.”

“Maybe we did,” Red replied with a shrug. “No one’s perfect.”

Emma nodded in agreement.

“I’m going to do it.”

“Good,” Red smiled.

“But can I ask you a question first?”

“Of course.”

“Why do you hover around Regina? I mean from what I’ve heard she was never popular round here, even before she was ‘the evil queen’”

“Well she wasn’t the person we thought she was. Which I guess is thanks to you and Henry. For me personally, I looked up to her.”

“You did?” Emma frowned. “How so?”

Red cleared her throat nervously.

“I’ve had feelings for women before. Men and women. But…I was too scared to ever act on it. Then Regina comes in openly and unapologetically in love with you…it was amazing.”

“Well you should never be scared of who you are,” Emma told her. “I think Regina felt like that when she came to my world. I mean, my world is far from perfect and we have a long way to go but being here with all these forced ideals. It just shows how far my world has come, especially when I see Regina. It transformed her into a totally different person, a better person more true to herself.”

“That wasn’t just the place,” Red told her. “Loving you and Henry has given her hope, something to fight for instead of against.”

Emma smiled at that, cupping Regina’s cheek.

“She gives me hope too.”

Then, without a second thought, she leaned over and placed a soft, delicate kiss to Regina’s lips.

And then there was magic.


	49. Real Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all the comments and kudos! Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

The first thing she felt was Emma’s lips, as soft and sweet as they’d always been. For a moment she thought she was dreaming, or had passed over into her own personal heaven. Yet as she fully regained her senses, she could feel magic in the air and her eyes flew open.

Emma pulled away slightly, her face instantly breaking into a teary grin.

“Regina,” she gasped, caressing her cheek. “It worked.”

In the background she could hear Red calling David’s name. But that didn’t matter right now. It was as though she and Emma were in their own little bubble and the outside world couldn’t touch them.

“Emma?” she uttered her name with a frown. “What’s going on?”

The sheriff didn’t reply, just kissed her again. Her hands went to her shoulders, about to push her back but soon changed her mind. Her eyes fluttered shut, shutting everything out except Emma’s mouth against hers, their tongues lightly brushing. It made Regina lightheaded, not indifferent from other kisses they had shared before but for some reason this time it felt different. Powerful.

Eventually she came back to her senses and pushed Emma back.

“Emma, please tell me what’s going on?”

“You were hurt,” Emma told her seriously yet couldn’t stop smiling. “Some jackass shot an arrow at you. We got you to you castle and Blue fixed you up like it never happened.”

Regina frowned for a moment before the memories came flooding back. The arrow, the pain, Emma.

“Henry…”

“He’s here and can’t wait to see you,” Emma told her, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “Anyway, I’m not finished.”

“You’re not? What else happened? Oh God, did my mother attack?”

“No, no,” Emma was quick to assure her. “Nothing like that. It’s just…the arrow was laced with something.”

Regina’s heart instantly dropped.

“What was it? Am I going to die? Because if I am you need to take Henry and…”

“Shhh,” Emma chuckled, putting a finger to her lips. “Stop interrupting and let me finish.”

Regina’s frown deepened but she did as she was told.

“So Blue looked at the arrowhead and found it was laced with a sleeping curse.”

“A sleeping curse?” Regina frowned. “But how am I awake?”

Emma bit her hip and stared at her for what felt like forever. Then, finally, she answered.

“Well you needed true loves kiss, and I was happy to oblige.”

At first Emma’s words didn’t sink in. Then after a few moments she realised what Emma was saying and her eyes widened.

“You’re my true love,” she said in awe, her hands reaching up to cup Emma’s face.

“That I am,” Emma grinned. “I love you, Regina Mills.”

She almost cried upon hearing those words, the words she’d thought she’d only ever hear in her dreams. Yet the desire to smile was much greater.

“I love you too, Emma Swan,” she replied before leaning up to kiss Emma sweetly. Now she knew what was different. Before, she’d felt a slight tingle of magic. Now it was like fireworks.

Pulling away, she took in Emma’s face once more. She was so beautiful it was unbelievable.

“I had a feeling…but to know that it’s true…”

“It’s very true,” Emma assured her. “And unfortunately for you, you’re definitely stuck with me now.”

“I think I can live with that,” Regina teased before she gave into temptation once more, pressing her lips back against Emma’s. It only mattered a few seconds this time though, as they were interrupted.

“Gross!”

Both of them looked to the door and saw Henry, stood there with a huge grin on his face.

“Regina!” he cried, running over and practically throwing himself on top of her. “You’re okay!”

“I’m better than okay now you’re here,” she replied, holding him close. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’ve missed you too,” he replied before pulling away and moving to hug his mother. “You did it, Mom! Red said you saved Regina! You gave her true loves kiss!”

“That I did, Kid,” Emma chuckled.

“So you two are back together again?” Henry asked hopefully. Regina said nothing, not wanting to presume even under these circumstances. Emma, however, was happy to answer.

“Of course we are,” she told him, taking Regina’s hand and smiling. “For keeps this time.”

Henry grinned, jumping up and down on the bed.

“This is so great!”

“Indeed it is,” Regina agreed, squeezing Emma’s hand.

Of course their nice family moment was ruined by Snow barging into the room.

“Regina!” she cried, rushing over. “Oh I’m so happy! You’re awake, and you and Emma are true loves!”

“That’s right,” she replied, not even Snow’s presence stopping her from smiling. She was just so happy.

“This is excellent,” Snow clapped her hands together. “We should start organising the wedding as soon as we can.”

“Woah,” Emma and Regina said in unison.

“Slow it down there, Snow,” Emma said with a nervous laugh.

“Yeah, after last time I’m done with marriage,” Regina said with a chuckle but Emma instantly stopped laughing.

“You don’t want to get married? Like ever?”

“Well not like Snow’s talking about,” she clarified. “Quick stop by the registry office, fine. Big fairy-tale wedding, been there, was horrible.”

Emma instantly perked up again and leaned over to kiss her on the cheek.

“We’re a perfect match.”

Snow sighed and shook her head.

“You two are no fun.”

“Exactly,” Emma replied. “That’s why we’re a perfect match.”

Regina giggled at that, mostly because of Snow’s pout.

Yet again, though, another good moment was interrupted.

“Snow!” David called as he ran into the room. “We just got word. Our palace has been over-run. Cora has taken it over.”


	50. Dream a Little Dream of Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all the comments and kudos! Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

The guard opened the door to the sell and Regina entered, followed by Emma, Snow, and David. Chained to the wall was her would-be assassin. He was a broad man with golden hair not as yellow as Emma’s. It appeared the guards had given him a good beating, a large bruise covering most of the left side of his face. Not to mention his bloody knees. Blue had said she’d tried her best to repair them but she was not used to dealing with bullet wounds. He would walk again, but with a limp. Emma said he deserved that but she didn’t completely agree.

“So,” Regina spoke up. “You’re the man who likes shooting arrows at women.”

The man didn’t get much time to reply as Emma stormed over and punched him in the face, causing Snow to yelp.

“Emma,” Regina huff. “I’m trying to interrogate him.”

“Yeah well he shot at my girlfriend so…”

Regina rolled her eyes, waiting until Emma had walked back to stand behind her before continuing.

“So, you’re working for my mother I take it?”

“Yes,” the man was quick to admit. “But it’s not what you think.”

“It isn’t?” Regina questioned, folding her arms. “Then please enlighten me as it why?”

“It wasn’t my choice,” he insisted. “She has my son. She told me I had to do it or she’d take his heart.”

Regina considered his words for a moment. Though that did sound like something her mother would do, she wouldn’t put it past an affiliate of hers to come up with a good lie.

“How did you know where we were?” Regina demanded. “Everyone who knows of that place is dead.”

“Look I don’t know anything like that,” the man hastily replied. “She told me to meet with a man and he told me what to do, to wait until I got a sign the cut down a tree to force you to go the other way. Then I had to wait where he told me, for you to arrive.”

“But how would they know you were travelling?” Snow questioned.

“The mirror,” Regina replied. “Mother knew we were at my family’s estate so sent word to have this all in motion by the time we left, is that correct?”

“It is,” the man nodded. “I’m sorry but…she has my boy…”

“This man,” Regina spoke up again. “Who was he?”

“I never caught his name.”

“Then describe him.”

The man thought for a moment before replying.

“Dark hair, wore a lot of leather, stank of ale. I think he’s a pirate.”

“So that’s half the population of the coastal towns,” David replied in an attempt of sarcasm. If the circumstances had been different Regina would have praised him for trying.

“Anything more distinctive?” she pressed.

“He had a hook for a hand.”

“Great,” Emma sighed. “A walking-talking stereotype.”

“Why would my mother want to place me under a sleeping curse?” she demanded, to which the man shook his head.

“No, that wasn’t my mission.”

“What? You shot the arrow for the fun of it?”

“No, never,” he protested. “I did as she told me, but I missed.”

“You missed?”

“Yes,” he nodded. “You weren’t my target. It was the girl with the yellow hair.”

Regina looked back to Emma, who met her gaze with wide eyes.

A new anger simered in her belly. Her mother had certainly made a mistake this time. All the engrained hesitation was gone. Mother had tried to hurt Emma and for that, she would well and truly pay.

 

By that evening, Regina’s anger had only grown. She paced the floor of her bed-chamber, her mind going at a thousand miles per hour.

“Will you please come to bed?” Emma sighed already under the covers. “You’re making me dizzy.”

“Emma, I’m too wired to lay in bed,” Regina replied. “I’m just so angry.”

“I know and so am I but you pacing all night isn’t helping anything.”

“Well I heard you almost paced a hole in the floor when I was hurt.”

“Yeah and I would again,” Emma said confidently. “But now we’re fine, Henry’s fine. So can we please just relax for a few hours? Pretty please? For me?”

After a few moments of defiance, Regina gave in and accepted defeat. A victorious appeared on Emma’s face as she moved round the bed and climbed in next to her.

“See, much better,” Emma chuckled, eyes closed as she pulled her close. “Now we can just snuggle.”

“I won’t be able to get to sleep.”

“Well I will so you can just watch me,” Emma replied, making Regina roll her eyes.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

They lay there together, Emma’s breathes quickly becoming even. Regina lay there for a while, feeling much calmer now she was in her true loves arms. Eventually her eyes became heavy and she joined her girlfriend in slumber.

_The next thing she knew, she was in a room. A room on fire._

_Regina instantly began to panic, moving to cover her mouth. Yet she couldn’t smell smoke, nor was the fire warm. That was when she knew it wasn’t real but then she quickly remembered dreams were always real when you were in them._

_What was this place? And how did she get here?_

_“Regina!”_

_She looked through the flames and saw a figure, a man._

_“Who are you?” she demanded. “What is this place and what am I doing here?”_

_“It’s the side effect of waking up from a sleeping curse,” he told her. “They fade overtime but sometimes they are useful for communicating across worlds.”_

_Regina squinted through the smoke and saw it was the mystery man from Storybrooke._

_“You,” she hissed. “I want answers! How did you get Daniel’s ring when it was never taken.”_

_“That’ll have to wait for another time,” he told her. “You need to come back to Storybrooke and get me.”_

_“Seriously?” Regina scoffed. “Why on earth would I do that?”_

_“Because I want to help.”_

_“You’d be helping by telling me what the hell is going on!”_

_“I’m sorry,” he replied, “But I can’t, not yet.”_

_“Then I’m not coming for you,” Regina replied and to her surprise, he just shrugged._

_“Alright. You told me to be persistent. I’ll see you tomorrow night, Regina.”_

Regina jolted upright in the bed. Blinking into the darkness, she realised she was back in her castle. Back in reality from whatever that place had been.

“Babe?” Emma spoke up groggily. “You alright?”

“I’m fine,” she was quick to assure her. “Just a bad dream.”


	51. Home with You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for the comments and kudos! Sorry for yet another late chapter. Uni has been kicking my ass again :/ Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

Regina was glad when morning came. She’d gotten very little sleep after returning from the flaming room, scared as soon as she slipped into a deep slumber she’d be back there again.

Emma had noticed straight away, of course.

“Babe, you’re stunning so don’t take this the wrong way but you look like crap.”

A small argument soon followed and Regina stormed out to the balcony. It took no less than a minute for Emma to follow her, wordlessly wrapping her arms around her and resting her chin on her shoulders. After a few moments of adamance, the cranky queen leaned back, accepting the embrace. They stood like that for maybe half an hour, maybe longer. Up until Henry knocked on their door and demanded they go down for breakfast.

Once they were ready, they headed down hand in hand. David and Snow sat at the head of the table, which instantly pissed Regina off. This was her castle and they act as though they own the place.

Emma must have noticed she was vexed as she gave her hand a comforting squeeze.

“Let’s go sit with Red,” she suggested and Regina nodded in agreement.

Henry in the lead, the family of three made their way over to join the wolf at one of the long tables, covered in an assortment of meats and pastries.

“Well if it isn’t the happy couple and their cheeky little munchkin,” Red greeted them with a smile. Regina and Emma chuckled but Henry wasn’t impressed.

“Munchkin? I’m still a kid, you know. When I’m older I’m going to be real tall. As tall as Thor, right mom?”

“You sure are, kid,” she replied. “But height isn’t everything.”

“Yeah, I know,” he nodded, picking up a pork sausage from one of the trays with his hands and eating it as such.

“Henry, cutlery please,” Regina told him only for him to huff.

“But all the knights are.”

“Hey,” Emma nudged him. “Don’t be rude to Regina. And I don’t acre what the knights are doing or are not doing. Use a knife and fork.”

Henry huffed again put half-eaten sausage on his plate and ate the rest properly. Afterwards he got another, this time stabbing it with his fork and carefully lifting it over.

“Lots of people here today,” Emma commented as she loaded up her own plate. “Where theer that many yesterday at dinner?”

“No, there wasn’t,” Regina frowned as she surveyed the room.

“Yeah, those who escaped the castle siege made it here late last night,” Red told them. “And looks like your would-be assassin wasn’t the only one who had cursed arrows. Some we’ve managed to wake, but others are stuck. Blue is developing a way to show who everyone’s true love is so hopefully that will help.”

“I doubt it,” Regina scoffed. “When a fairy tried that on me, it led me to a man in a tavern. Which, as we now know, was not correct.”

Emma instantly stopped eating.

“You never told me that.”

Regina rolled her eyes.

“Emma, it was stupid and obviously not true. Looking back, it’s a good job I never went through with it.”

“It sure is and if he comes a-knocking I don’t care how big he his I’ll kick his ass.”

Regina just rolled her eyes again, this time with a small smirk.

“Well let’s hope it works better this time,” Red said with a sad sigh. “Luckily it worked on poor little Pinocchio.”

That instantly caught Regina’s attention.

“What happened to Pinocchio?”

“He got hit by an arrow,” Red told her gravely. “But he’s fine. The arrow did very little damage and his father kissed his forehead and broke the curse. That’s actually when they knew what was happening.”

“Is he here now?”

“Yes, he’s up in one of the bedrooms.”

“Take me to him,” Regina ordered, standing up.

“Regina,” Emma sighed, putting her hand on her arm. “Eat your breakfast first.”

“No, I must see him now.”

“So must I,” Henry said, standing up. “He’s my friend.”

Emma sighed again but got to her feet.

“Sorry Red.”

“Don’t worry,” the wolf shrugged. “I’ve been here for three hours anyway.”

“You’ve been eating for three hours?” Regina questioned and Red nodded.

“Wolf appetite.”

“Wow,” Emma said approvingly. “That’s goals.”

Regina rolled her eyes and took her girlfriend’s hand.

“Come on, let’s get going.”

 

When they entered Pinocchio’s room, they found him sat up in bed with his father sat on a chair beside him, As soon as she spotted Regina, his smile grew into a grin.

“Regina!”

“Hello young man,” she smiled back as she walked over to his bedside. “I heard you’ve been in the wars.”

“Yeah, it was a little scary but I’m fine now,” he said with a shrug before looking to Henry. “Do you want to see my scar?”

Henry quickly ran over from where he’d been stood with Emma by the door.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.”

Carefully, Pinocchio shrugged his shirt off his right shoulder and pulled it down a little further. There, under his shoulder, was a stitched wound. It looked well but Regina still didn’t like it.

“I could fix it right now if you like,” she offered but he shook his head adamantly.

“No, I’m fine,” he insisted but Regina could see he was troubled. She looked to his father, who bowed his head gravely.

“My boy has been frightened by what has happened at the palace. Magic included.”

Regina frown at that. She wanted to help him but without her magic, she had nothing to give.

That was until she got an idea.

Leaving the room, she rushed to her bedchamber and found what she was looking for almost instantly. When she returned, she held her hand behind her back as she approached the bed once more.

“Now, Pinocchio, I need your help.”

“You do?” he frowned and Regina nodded.

“Yes, I have something that needs protecting and I need someone brave to do just that. And, from what I’ve heard, you’ve been very brave.”

“I have,” he nodded. “The bravest.”

“I don’t doubt,” she said before bringing her hand out from behind her back and opening her fist to reveal Daniel’s ring.

“This used to belong to someone I cared about very much. Can you look after it for me?”

Pinocchio nodded and with that, Regina unclasped the chain and put it round his neck like she used to her most valiant knights.

“Thank you, Pinocchio,” she said in her best royal voice. “You are doing this kingdom a great service.”

“Regina?” Emma spoke up, breaking the moment. “Can I have a word with you outside please?”

Regina nodded, giving Pinocchio one more smile before getting up and following Emma out of the room. Once the door was shut behind them, Emma gave up her calm façade.

“What the hell was that?” she hissed. “You can’t just give him that.”

“Why not?” Regina questioned, almost challengingly.

“Because for one, he’s a kid. Two, we don’t know what the deal is with this ring yet. And three, that’s Daniel’s ring. Do you really want to give it away?”

“I haven’t given it away because it’s back in our home in Storybrooke.”

“Yeah but still, it’s important to you.”

“No, Daniel is important me, and he always will be. But I don’t need a ring to symbolise him being with me anymore. I know he is because I carry him with me in my heart. I’m sick of looking back to the past, especially when the present is so much better. Now at least if Pinocchio has the ring, we know where it is. And it gives him something to be happy about after all he’s been through.”

Emma stared her blankly for a few moments before nodding.

“Alright,” she said before a smirk appeared on her face. “You said ‘our home’.”

“Yes?” Regina frowned. “That’s what it is, isn’t it?”

“Well we never really spoke about it,” Emma pointed out, pulling her closer. “Is that you inviting me to officially move in with you, Regina Mills?”

“Indeed it is, Emma Swan,” she replied, not even having to think about it. “Even though you’re technically moved in already.”

Emma shrugged at that.

“Let me have this moment,” she said before kissing her light on the lips. “And I’d very much love to officially move in with you.”

“Good,” Regina smiled, kissing Emma deeply.


	52. The Burning Room

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all the comments and kudos! Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

_“Regina?”_

_She was in the burning room again, the man visible through the flames._

_“What?” she huffed. “What do you want from me?”_

_“I want to help you.”_

_“Do you really? Because so far you’ve been very unhelpful.”_

_“I am helping,” he insisted. “It may not seem like it now but I am.”_

_“Ah yes,” she recalled bitterly. “Because you are doing what I’ve asked you to do.”_

_“It may seem crazy now but it’s the truth.”_

_“Well I don’t believe you,” she huffed. “Now send me back.”_

_“Fine,” he sighed. “See you tomorrow night.”_

Regina shot up in bed, breathing heavily.

“Babe?” Emma groaned sleepily. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Regina assured her. “Go back to sleep.”

Emma did the exact opposite and sat up with her.

“Regina, do the light thing?”

“Emma…”

“Regina…”

With a sigh, Regina waved her hand and all the candles in the room lit, bringing light to the room.

“Good,” Emma said before wrapping her arms around her, resting her chin on Regina’s shoulder. “So wanna talk about what’s bothering you?”

“Nothing’s bothering me, Emma,” Regina tried to assure her but Emma saw right through it.

“You’ve been waking up like that three nights in a row. Try again.”

“It is nothing,” Regina sighed. “Just bad dreams.”

“What about?” Emma pressed.

“It’s ridiculous,” she said, looking down at her hands. Emma instantly pulled her closer.

“You can tell me,” she assured her softly. “I won’t laugh or anything.”

Regina wasn’t quick to reply, mostly because she did not wish to. Yet, after a few moments passed, she gave in.

“I-I’m in a room,” she began to explain. “And the room is on fire, but there’s no smoke, no heat. Just fierce, terrifying flames. On the other side of the room is the man from Storybrooke. He brings me there and tries to get me to trust him. Saying things that don’t make sense and trying to persuade me to go back to Storybrooke and fetch him. Then when I refuse, he tells me he’ll see me tomorrow and lets me go. Then I wake up like I did just then. And the next night I’ll be back there again. No matter how hard I try to stay awake, I end up there without even realising. Though I feel foolish saying so, it scares me, Emma. And it takes a lot to really scare me like this.”

Emma was silent for a few minutes and Regina quickly regretted her decision to tell the truth. She probably thought she was crazy. Yet still her love held her close and soon the silence became calming, comfortingly.

Then, soon enough, Emma spoke up.

“So it’s like a vivid nightmare?”

“No,” Regina shook her head. “You know when you have a dream and it seems real but then you wake up and you forget most of it but see how ridiculous and fake it was?”

“Yeah I think I get what you mean,” Emma said with a light chuckle.

“Well this is different. It doesn’t feel like a dream. It felt as though…as though my consciousness leaves my body and goes there.”

“To the burning room?”

“Yes.”

Emma was quiet again and once more the silence was painful. Yet she was quicker in replying this time.

“We should talk to Blue.”

“What? No way am I having that jellyfish poking around in my head.”

“That jellyfish as you call her has saved your life twice in the space of two weeks,” Emma pointed out. “And honestly, I don’t think we have much of a choice.”

“What do you mean by that?” Regina demanded. “I shall do as I please.”

“No, no, you’re not starting an argument to avoid the subject. Babe, you can’t go on like this. Every morning you’re exhausted and having these dreams, visions, whatever the hell they are playing on your mind certainly isn’t helping.”

Regina shook her head adamantly.

“No, I refuse.”

Emma sighed and unwrapped her arms from around her, Regina instantly missing the warmth. The sheriff shifted in the bed so she was facing her, looking directly into her eyes.

“Regina, I’m worried about you,” she admitted. “These night terrors or whatever they are scare even me and I’m not the one experiencing them. So will you please, please, please, talk to Blue? For my sake?”

Regina was in half-mind to refuse but then Emma did the big puppy eyes both she and Henry had mastered. And, when she was looking at her like that, Regina would do anything she ask.”

“Fine,” she huffed, laying back in the bed. “But in the morning.”

Emma grinned and quickly moved to snuggle up against you.

“Thank you.”

“Anything for you, my love.”

 

Once Regina had told Blue of the burning room, the fairy was quick to fly out of the room, leaving the pair both worried and confused.

“Well that can’t be anything good,” Regina sighed and Emma was quick to squeeze her hand reassuringly.

“Don’t say that,” she said softly. “She may be just needing to double check some things.”

Regina waited for what felt like an hour, yet was in reality about a minute, before getting out of her chair.

“I knew this was a bad idea,” she said, moving for the door but Emma was quick to stop her.

“We’re here now so let’s just see what she has to say.”

Regina sighed and sat back down.

“Stupid fairy. I wish I had a fly swotter.”

“Regina….”

“Yes, yes, I know she saved my life. But she’s also been a great pain in my behind for years.”

Emma sighed and shook her head.

“Babe, you’re getting too worked up.”

“Can you blame me?” Regina questioned. “My fate lies yet again in the hands of that glorified mosquito.”

Before Emma could reply, Blue flew back into the room, followed by Snow and David

“Oh for goodness sake,” Regina huffed. “They don’t need to be here.”

“Regina,” Snow sighed, moving to kneel by her side. “Oh Regina, why didn’t you tell me of this?”

“I tried telling you things once,” she snapped back. “Didn’t quite work out for me.”

“Don’t mind her,” Emma butted in. “She’s grumpy.”

“Oh well there is no need to be anymore,” Snow told her with a bright smile. “I’m here to help.”

“Help?” Regina scoffed. “How can you possibly be of any help to me?”

“Because she was also under a sleeping curse,” Blue answered for her and quickly explained. “I’ve heard many stories of the burning room. A place outside of all of existence. The only people who can access it are those who have been put under a sleeping curse. Now, if my plan works, I will send the queen with you there and she will speak to this man also.”

“What?” Regina frowned. “How would that be any help to me? It would just make it worse.”

“Because we need to know who this man is,” Snow told her. “And two minds are better than one.”

Regina looked to Emma, who shrugged.

“It’s worth a shot.”

Regina sighed before giving a reluctant nod.

“Fine.”


	53. Room on Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all the comments and kudos! Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

Regina and Snow sat side by side on the bed, something the former was certainly not happy about.

“Is this really necessary?”

“I need to keep your minds joined,” Blue told her as she whipped up her magic concoction. “It’s easier this way.”

“No I mean this entire venture,” Regina clarified. “Why can’t I just go talk to him? Or do you suddenly not trust me again?”

“Don’t be silly, Regina,” Snow waved her off. “It’s just better if I’m there too.”

“Better how?”

“So we get a better picture of what’s going on.”

“So you don’t trust me? Good to know.”

Emma sighed from were she perched on the edge of the bed.

“Regina, they’re trying to help.”

“How are they though?” she questioned. “The way I see it, the only people who benefit from this are them. Believe me, if you were in my situation you’d be complaining too.”

“You have a point,” Emma nodded. “But still, lets see how this goes. After all, no one is getting hurt.”

“Oh no,” Regina replied sarcastically. “I’m just getting my former arch-nemesis roaming round my mind.”

“She won’t be in your mind,” Blue corrected her. “Her consciousness will just follow you to the burning room.”

Regina rolled her eyes.

“This is ridiculous.”

The fairy didn’t argue, just brought over the elixirs

“These will help you sleep.”

“Like a sleeping curse?” Emma questioned with worry and Blue was quick to shake her little head.

“No, it just helps stimulate the natural hormones that make you sleep.”

“Huh,” Emma replied. “So the rules of science do apply after all.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s not how it works, dear,” Regina replied.

“Hey, I took science class in high school. You didn’t.”

“But did you ever actually attend?”

“Sometimes,” she shrugged and Regina rolled her eyes again. She took the elixir and looked to Snow, who was grasping hers also.

“Right,” Blue clapped her hands together. “Remember, once Snow and Regina drink the elixir, they’ll instantly be overcome by sleep. So Emma and David need to take the glasses from them.”

“Yes, yes, we get it,” Regina huffed. “You don’t want to break your stupid glasses.”

“Well they were hard to come by.”

Regina rolled her eyes yet again, before leaning over and kissing Emma softly.

“I love you,” she told her once she pulled away.

“I love you too,” Emma replied, leaning in to claim her lips. Regina wasn’t sure how long they’d been kissing, time seeming to stop as soon as their lips met. It wasn’t until she heard David clearing his throat that she realised they must have been kissing for a while.

“Erm, ladies?”

They quickly broke apart and looked to the other three people in the room. Blue looks sour, which was nothing new, David look flustered, and Snow was grinning from ear to ear.

“You two are so in love,” she squealed. “You’re almost as bad as David and I.”

“I very much doubt that,” Regina replied. It would be a cold day in hell when she became as soppy as though too. “So, shall we do this?”

“We shall,” Snow nodded and they both clinked glasses. “See you on the other side.”

With a nod, Regina raised her glass and, in sync with Snow, knocked it back in one go.

She felt Emma take the glass and her head falling back against the pillow. After that, it all seemed to slip away.

_And then she was back in the burning room, the same as it always was._

_Beside her stood Snow, who covered her mouth. Regina smacked the hand away._

_“You don’t need to do that.”_

_“Sorry,” she replied, breathless from her attempt to not inhale the non-existent fumes. “This is terrifying. I can see why it scared you.”_

_“It didn’t scare me,” Regina snapped. “It troubled me but definitely did not scare me. Nothing scares me.”_

_“That’s not entirely true, now is it Regina?” came the deep voice through the flames. And sure enough, the man was there, stepping out of the shadows on his side of the room to reveal himself._

_“What is that supposed to mean?” she barked at him, to which he held his hands up defensively._

_“Hey, I was just making a point,” he said before looking to Snow and bowing. “Your majesty, it’s a pleasure to see you again.”_

_“Again?” Snow frowned. “We’ve met before? I certainly don’t recognise you.”_

_“No well you wouldn’t,” the man replied. “It’s rather complicated and for another time.”_

_“You always say that,” Regina spat. “Tell me, when will this ‘time’ come?”_

_“Very soon,” he told her. “When you come get me.”_

_“And here we go with this again. Why do you want to be here so badly? Because I tell you now I’d give anything to be back in Storybrooke.”_

_“Than what’s stopping you,” he pressed. “Come get me and you can return, for a little while that is. You, Emma, and Henry…”_

_“Don’t you dare speak their names,” she growled. “Now you tell me what the hell is going on, right now.”_

_“No,” he replied forcefully. “You come get me, I’ll explain who I am.”_

_“I’m not bargaining with you,” she snarled. “If it weren’t for you I’d be at home with my family right now. Normal, no magic or wars. But thanks to you, I’ll never have that.”_

_“You have a chance at that if we win this war,” he told her, almost desperately. “And I’m sorry for all I’ve done but you’ll soon understand I did what was right, what you wanted. And anyway, if my math is right, you and Emma should be just fine now. More than fine.”_

_“THAT’S NOT THE POINT!” Regina all but screamed, taking a step forward with fists clenched. Yet Snow grabbed her arm and pulled her back._

_“Regina, calm down. That isn’t helping.”_

_She was in half the mind to throttle her too, but she annoyingly had a point. So, quickly composing herself, she decided to challenge him once more._

_“But how can I trust you? I don’t even know who you are.”_

_“When you come get me, you will. Once you know who I am.”_

_The man then checked his watch and sighed._

_“Unfortunately that’s all the time I have. I’ll see you soon, Regina. And it was good to see you again, my queen.”_

Regina woke with a start, as did Snow next to her. Emma pressed a cool wet towel against her forehead.

“Babe, you’re burning up.”

Blinking as all her senses returned, she realised she did feel rather warm.

“A side-effect from the spell I’m afraid,” Blue informed them. “Unfortunately Regina’s body took the brunt of sending both your minds there.”

“Typical,” she huffed before smiling lightly at Emma. “But I’m glad I have such a beautiful doctor taking care of me.”

Emma blushed at that before getting down to the matter at hand.

“Did you get him to talk?”

“No,” Regina sighed. “He was as cryptic as ever.”

“That he was,” Snow agreed. “And that is why you must go meet him in Storybrooke.”

Regina’s head instantly snapped round to look at her.

“What? How could you suggest something so outrageous?”

“Regina,” Snow sighed. “We’re losing this war, badly. If he can help in any way, we need him. So you must go to Emma’s world and collect him.”

Regina stared at the other woman in disbelief before looking to Emma, who shrugged.

“I wouldn’t mind swinging by the mansion to have a shower. Henry can come with us. Even if the guy turns out to be useless, we’ll still have a little family time.”

She couldn’t really argue with that, and so she nodded.

“Home it is then.”


	54. Home Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all the comments and kudos! Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

As soon as they passed through the portal, Regina felt a huge wait lift off her shoulders.

Looking around, she couldn’t help but smile. They were on the road leading out of Storybrooke. She’d recognise those trees anywhere, and the feeling of the air.

She was finally back.

“Okay, first we need to stop home,” Henry said, taking charge. “I need to get on my console.”

“You don’t _need_ to, kid,” Emma corrected him, to which he shook his head.

“Nope, definitely need. You don’t understand. You’re old.”

“Charming.”

Regina couldn’t help but laugh at her little family, before taking Emma’s hand in hers.

“Home sounds good,” she said, kissing her true love on the cheek. At which Henry grimaced.

“Do you guys have to do that all the time?” he huffed. “It’s embarrassing.”

“Tough,” Emma replied. “Now the quicker you move, the quicker you get on your games.”

That instantly made him perk up, practically running down the side of the road, Regina and Emma trailing along behind.

It took them a while to get to the house but neither of them seemed to find. For Regina, she was more than happy to take it all in. The houses, the car, the clothes people were wearing. She knew from her time here that some people dreamed of fairy tales, yet Storybrooke was the place she dreamed of. Her little house that she shared with Emma and Henry, where they lived like normal people, real people, happy people.

Everything was perfect, until they reached the mansion.

As there, on the door step, was the man.

“Regina,” he said, as soon as he saw her. “It’s good to see you in person.”

“I can’t say the same,” she replied as she strode towards him. “So you want to do this now?”

“No,” he said and when she opened her mouth to argue, he held his hands up to stop her. “I want to give you time to get settled. After all, I know from personal experience that this world has the advantage of indoor plumbing and the internet. I’m here to say I’ll stop by tomorrow, around ten. I stocked the fridge for you, sorry if that’s intrusive.”

“It certainly is,” Emma snapped at him from where she stood, holding onto Henry protectively.

“Yeah well, I wanted to be of some help,” he shrugged. “I’ll see you both tomorrow.”

With that he walked passed them down the path, Emma pulling Henry closer to her as her went by.

Once he was out of sight, Emma let go of Henry.

“That guy creeps me out.”

Regina nodded in agreement before looking to the door, unlocking it with a wave of her hand.

Heading inside, the mansion was just how she remembered. Grand, immaculate, but most importantly it was homely.

Henry was quick in kicking off his shoes and running upstairs.

“I’m going for a bath!”

“Make sure to use the shampoo this time!” Emma called after him but all she got in reply was the bathroom door slamming shut.

“Well,” Regina spoke up. “We’re home.”

“We’re home,” Emma repeated. “I hope that kid’s finishes up soon. I really want a shower.”

“You can use my en-suite if you like,” Regina suggested but Emma shook her head.

“Nah, I think I’m going to eat some pizza.”

“What kind?”

“Pepperoni with extra cheese.”

Regina clicked her fingers and three pizza boxes appeared in her hand.

“Pepperoni for you and Henry, and vegetable for me.”

Emma practically snatched the top box and ran into the living room. Rolling her eyes, she put Henry’s in the kitchen before joining her girlfriend on the couch, who already had Netflix loaded up.

“Man I’ve missed this,” she said, loading up a random film while digging into her pizza.

“Me too,” Regina agreed. “Me too.”

 

Sometime later, Henry came back downstairs and wanted to play on his game console on the big TV. So Emma and Regina left him to it and headed upstairs.

Emma had gone for her long awaited shower while Regina decided to pack a small bag with pyjamas and such for when they headed back to the enchanted forest. She was in the middle of packing a make-up bag of body sprays when she heard a knock at the door.

Looking round, she saw Emma, wrapped in a towel yet her hair was still dry.

“Hey, what you doing?”

“Just packing some stuff,” she replied with a shrug. “So we’re a little more prepared this time.”

“Good idea,” Emma nodded. “I need to take some ammo.”

Regina rolled her eyes.

“We need to talk about that gun when this is over.”

“When this is over, I’ll only have it on duty,” Emma promised her. “But, back there, I need to protect my family. Unlike you, I can’t do magic.”

“Yes well be glad about that,” Regina replied before quickly changing the subject. “Do you want to take any make-up or anything?”

“Nah, I’m good,” Emma chuckled before holing out her hand. “But I would very much like it if you joined me in the shower.”

Regina’s mind instantly blanked

“Erm…”

“Unless you’re don’t want to…”Emma quickly added but Regina shook her head adamantly.

“No, no, I’d very much want to it’s just…are you sure? I know you wanted to wait until you’re ready…”

“I did,” Emma nodded. “So I waited and now I’m ready.”

“You are?”

“Yes, if you are?”

“I am,” Regina nodded again, a big grin on her face.

“Okay then,” Emma said, wiggling the fingers of her outstretched hand. “Come on.”

Regina walked across the room and took her hand. Mindlessly, she let Emma lead her to the bathroom, where the shower was already running.


	55. The Mystery Man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all the comments and kudos! Sorry this is a short chapter, I've been having a difficult week and haven't had much time or energy to write. Yet still, here it is. Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

When Regina woke up the next morning, she thought she’d dreamt it all. The shower, the bedroom, the quick change to join Henry, having a family movie night with Chinese food, snuggling on the couch with Emma once Henry went to bed, then them returning to her bedroom again, or rather theirs.

Yet there was Emma, only covered by the sheets, lying beside her with her arm resting lazily around her waist. Regina couldn’t help but smile. It had been an extraordinary day and night.

Then she remembered what she had to do today and bolted upright in bed, waking Emma up in the process.

“Woah, what’s up?”

“What time is it?” Regina asked, looking over Emma to the alarm clock. Nine o’clock.

Fuck.

Jumping out of bed, she raced into the en-suite and had a quick shower. When she returned in a towel with wet hair, Emma was still in bed, looking grumpy.

“What’re you doing?”

“Getting ready,” Regina replied, sitting down at her dressing table and beginning to brush her hair. “That meeting with that man is in…fifty minutes. I must look as regal as possible.”

“Why? Wanna scare him?” Emma asked teasingly but Regina nodded seriously.

“Yes, I don’t want to use my magic incase it’s absolutely necessary. So intimidating make-up will have to do.”

Emma rolled her eyes, getting out of bed and kissing her on the cheek.

“Okay, I’ll go wake up Henry and make breakfast.”

Regina watched Emma leave through the mirror before continuing brushing her hair.

Once she was ready, she headed down and found Emma and Henry eating cereal.

“Looking good,” Emma smiled when she saw her, pausing her own meeting to make her girlfriend her own bowl. “You know, as much as I do like those queen outfits, nothing beats Mayor Mills.”

“Why thank you, dear,” Regina replied, accepting the cereal and sitting down on the stol beside Henry.

They chatted about this and that, most Henry’s progress on his video game. Before any of them knew it, it was ten and there was a knock at the door.

Regina jumped to her feet, straightening out her blazer.

“Hey, babe,” Emma spoke up, gesturing to her pyjamas. Regina knew what she was asking and with a wave of her hand, Emma and Henry were dressed for the day. Henry in a button up and pressed trousers while Emma wore her usual jeans, plain t-shirt, and red leather jacket.

The knocking continued and with a huff, Regina stormed towards the door, Emma right behind her.

Opening the door, the man greeted her with a smile.

“Regina, Emma, good morning.”

“Lets get this over with,” Regina replied, stepping aside and allowing him in. He walked passed them and through to the kitchen.

“Hey, Henry,” he greeted the boy, who remained sat on his stool looking at him cautiously.

“Kid, go upstairs,” Emma told him and when he didn’t move, she gave him a stern look. “Go.”

With that, Henry jumped down from the stool and ran off.

The man looked to Regina was a frown.

“You seriously think I’d hurt him?”

“I’m not sure,” Regina replied. “After all, I don’t know who you are.”

“You’re right,” he nodded to her surprise. “You can’t be too careful.”

Regina met Emma’s eye and the pair shared a look of confusion.

“I’m sorry,” he continued. “I’m sorry it had to be this way. But this was the way it has to be. Now there are still many things I can’t tell you, but I can tell you who I am if that’s enough for now.”

Regina and Emma looked to each other again before nodding.

“Fine,” Regina replied. “Tell us who you are.”

He seemed to try saying the words, but he just kept flapping his jaw like a fish. After a while, Regina got frustrated.

“Come on,” she encouraged him in an irritable tone. He awkwardly laughed before finally, _finally,_ finding the words.

“Maybe it would be best to show you,” he said, shrugging off his jacket. “You met me when I was a kid. I’d been caught in the crossfire and got injured pretty badly.”

Regina frowned as she watched him pull down the neckline of his shirt, revealing a small scar underneath his shoulder.

“You said you could fix it up, as if it never happened,” he continued. “But I said I was fine, then my papa told you…”

“That you were scared of magic,” Regina finished, staring at him with new recognition. “Pinnochio?”

The man smiled and if she wasn’t mistaken, tears were forming in his eyes.

“It’s August now but yes, it’s me.”

Regina continued to stare at him, wide eyed. Emma was quiet so she guessed she was in a similar state.

Then, without thinking, she walked forward and pulled the tall, broad man into a hug, holding him close as she would the boy he once was.


	56. Shiny Happy People

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all the comments and kudos! So I've been roughly planning out the rest of this fic (that is why this chapter is super super late) and oh boy, I'm so excited to write the rest! Again, I own nothing and mt grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

“But how?” Regina questioned once she pulled away, instead taking hold of his hands. “Wait, let me guess. You can’t tell me?”

“Afraid not,” Pinocchio, or rather August replied. “Your rules, not mine.”

“Right,” she replied, her mind still to stunned to work properly. “So you did this all for me? Set up my life here?”

“By your instructions,” he answered. “But yeah actually getting it all together was my job.”

“Well thank you,” Regina said with a smile. “You picked me a lovely home.”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “It seemed very you. But you told me, when you asked me to do this, that what made it home was Emma and Henry.”

“Yes,” Regina nodded before looking to Emma. “But still, it’s a lovely home for us.”

“Yeah, good choice,” Emma agreed. “But can we cut to the part where you explain how this is even possible?”

August chuckled at that, taking a seat on one of the stools.

“Haven’t you learnt by now that nothing is impossible.”

“Well I wouldn’t say that,” Regina countered, memories of her many attempts to bring Daniel back coming to mind. “But I have read of time travel. It’s almost impossible, but not totally. It would take seriously powerful magic to do so.”

“That it did,” August nodded. “Yet here I am.”

“So you’ve been here a long time?” Regina asked and once again, he nodded.

“I was maybe a year or so older than the me you met in the Enchanted Forest,” he replied, before pulling out his wallet. From the little photograph window, he pulled out a small photograph, holding it out to Regina. Taking it, she examined it closely. In it was a couple, maybe in their late forties to early fifties, with a boy she instantly recognised as being Pinocchio standing before them, well dressed with a big smile on his face.

“They took me in,” he said with a smile. “They were good people. I did miss Papa, still do to this very day. But they were my parents too, and I’m so grateful to have found them.”

Emma walked over to have a look also, resting her hand on the small of Regina’s back.

“Where are they now?” she asked.

“Mom died about five years ago,” he told them sadly. “Dad not long after. They were true love, and losing her broke his heart. Broke mine to lose them both but I have nothing but happy memories with them. I hold that time dear.”

“They look nice,” Emma said in a tone Regina hadn’t heard before. “You’re very lucky to have found them.”

“I was,” he agreed. “I really was.”

Regina could sense Emma was feeling a little tense, so decided to quickly change the topic.

“So, why on earth would you want to go back to the Enchanted Forest?”

“I want to help,” he replied. “I was too young the first time and all I wanted to do was be there to stand beside you all. This is my chance to do that.”

“You _seriously_ want to go voluntarily into that shit?” Emma questioned in disbelief. “Like I mean no offense to you guys but that places fucking chaos.”

“Just because Henry is upstairs doesn’t mean you are free to swear in my house,” Regina told her, only for her girlfriend to laugh in reply.

“You asked me to move in so my house too I’ll swear as much as I want.”

Regina rolled her eyes before looking back to August.

“I agree with Emma, with the profanity of course. I’m sorry, August, but I can’t allow you to go back there.”

“Why?” he questioned, crossing his arms challengingly. “Is it because you still think of me as that kid who was once a wooden puppet?”

“Yes,” Regina nodded, not even considering denying it. “It is. I mean, it’s hard not to considering you were just that two days ago.”

“For you, yeah,” he nodded. “But I’m a grown man now. I’ve lived, I’ve grown stronger.”

When neither woman said anything in reply, he continued.

“Look, if it was any other guy my age and in my state of health, would you turn me away? Honestly?”

Regina still remained reluctant, while Emma sighed.

“He has a point, Regina.”

“What?” she looked to her in disbelief. “You can’t seriously be considering this.”

At that, Emma shrugged.

“Like he said, he’s not a kid anymore.”

“I don’t care if he’s a seven or seventy, the answer is no.”

“Regina, be reasonable about this. We need help and he may have information that will help us win this.”

“I do,” he nodded. “I know it’s my destiny to help win this war and I’m willing to make whatever sacrifices are necessary.”

Emma looked to Regina, wearing her down with her gaze until she eventually gave in.

“Fine, but I want it well noted I do not agree with it. And you can’t tell anyone who you are, and stay away from Pinocchio. I don’t know what the affects can be of coming into contact with your younger self.”

“Fair enough,” August nodded with a smile. “I accept those conditions.”

“Very well,” Regina nodded. “Let’s get going.”

 

They passed through the portal without a hiccup, coming through in the palace garden, next to Regina’s precious apple tree.

“Wow,” August said in little more than a whisper. “It’s exactly as I remember it.”

“Yes,” Regina agreed, looking up at the tall towers in distaste. “I found that to be the case also.”

As they walked through the gardens towards the doors leading inside, Henry and August swiftly went ahead, both filled with youthful excitement at being back in the fairy-tale realm. Regina and Emma trailed behind, hand in hand.

“So,” Emma spoke quietly so the others couldn’t hear. “I say we say hi to everyone and grab something to eat then head up to your room.”

“And what do you have in mind once we get there?” Regina teased, already knowing the answer.

“A repeat performance of last night,” the sheriff replied seductively. “Maybe a few extra encores if we have the time.”

“Oh we’ll make the time, don’t you worry,” Regina assured her before leaning over and placing a kiss just below her ear. “Why don’t we just sneak off now? With a wave of my hand, we’ll be up there in an instant and no one would be any the wiser. I could also use a silencing spell, so no holding back. We could make as much noise as we wanted and no one would ever hear it, except us of course.”

“Oh god yes,” Emma nodded, stopping their walk. “Let’s do it.”

Regina smirked and placed what was meant to be a chaste kiss on Emma’s lips, only for her girlfriend to grab her hair and deepen it. She could feel the magic surrounding them, so intense it almost felt like something else entirely.

She was about to wave her hand, take them there without even breaking the kiss. Yet the moment was broken, as always, by Snow White’s shrill voice.

“Regina! Regina!”

Regina sighed and broke the kiss, giving an obviously frustrated Emma an apologetic look before her gaze found the source of the approaching racket.

“Snow,” Regina greeted her as she was the woman rushing over, only for her heart to drop when she was her face. She was distraught, her face lined with tears, as she frantically ran to them.

“Regina,” she said in a raspy voice once she reached them. “You must come now.”

“What is it? Is my mother attacking?”

“No,” Snow shook her head. “No…Regine, it’s your father…”

She didn’t need to hear anymore. Without even thinking, she broke into a run, forgetting she had the ability of magic altogether. Running as fast as her legs could carry her towards the castle, even Emma’s voice fading into the background.


	57. Difficult Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all the comments and kudos! Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

She was moving on auto-pilot, despite not knowing for sure where her father was. For some reason, her mind directed her to what had been his bed chamber and she just happened to find Red and David stood outside the door in deep conversation. As soon as Red saw her, however, she cut passed him to get to her.

“Regina…”

“Where is he?”

“Regina, just listen a minute…”

“No, I need to see him.”

“Regina for fuck sake just stop and listen for once in your life!” Red snapped, instantly silencing the former queen. “Right, good. Now you really need to listen. Your father was found at the castle gates, how he got there we don’t know. But he was in a bad way, a really bad way. I-I’ve seen things in my life but honestly Regina, I’m surprised he’s still alive. That he is, for now. He’s conscious and Blue has tried her best to keep him going but she doesn’t think he has long.”

Regina let out a pained squeak, moving her hand to her mouth as tears began to burn in her eyes. It was against every fibre in her being to cry in public, let alone in front of her former enemies. Yet she couldn’t hold it back, it was way too strong for that to be even possible.

She felt a comforting hand on her shoulder, and without having to look she knew it was Emma’s.

“I’m sorry,” Red sighed. “This wasn’t want was meant to happen.”

“No,” Regina agreed. “It wasn’t, but of course it has. So what now? Can I see him?”

“You can,” David spoke up. “But he doesn’t have long, Regina. This will be goodbye. And take it for someone who has been through this twice now, you want to say goodbye properly. So take a minute, think of what you want to say, then go in there with a smile. All he’s talked about the past day is how beautiful your smile is.”

Though she knew David was trying to help, it turned Regina from tearful to hysterical. Emma’s arms instantly wrapped around her, as she broke down.

“Regina,” Emma spoke soothingly while rubbing circles into her back. “Regina, come on. You need to brave, okay? And I know it may seem impossible right now, but you can be. Because you’re the bravest person I know, and if anyone can do this, you can.”

Regina continued to sob for a while longer, but managed to calm herself down to slight sniffles. Letting out a shaky breath, she looked up to meet Emma’s gaze, the sheriff’s eyes tearful also.

“I bet I look terrible now,” she manged to chuckle shakily. Emma chuckled also, cupping her cheeks and placing a quick kiss on the tip of her nose.

“Nah, a little panda-like but who doesn’t love a panda. Their adorable.”

“I’m not adorable,” Regina huffed, making Emma laugh again.

“I’m afraid you are, babe. So, do you think you’re ready now or do you want to take a walk?”

“Emma…” David spoke up but Red elbowed him the ribs, making him wince.

“No, if David was about to say what I think he was, he’s right. There’s no time, Emma. I-I need to do this now.”

“Alright,” Emma nodded, slowly letting go of her face and taking her hand instead. “Do you want me to come in with you?”

“I’d like that very much. You two need to be introduced.”

Walking hand in hand, they made their way into the room. As soon as Regina saw her father, her legs nearly gave out beneath her. He looked so small in the bed, so fragile, so pale his skin almost blended with the pillow propping him up. She could see stains of blood on the sheets and she almost began barking orders for them to be changed at once. Then she remembered Red’s words, of how the injuries were worse than anything she’d ever seen. There was no stopping the bleeding, and so changing the sheets whenever a speck of blood go on it would be futile.

Yet despite all that, when her father saw her he smile, and she smiled back. Because, despite the terrible circumstance, she was glad to see him. Even if it was for one last time.

“Regina,” he crocked, his voice broken and strained. She quickly moved to his side, dragging Emma along with her. Still holding on to Emma with one hand, she took one of her father’s with the other.

“Daddy,” she spoke softly, trying to hold herself together, “it’s so good to see you.”

“It’s good to see you too,” he crocked back before looking passed her to Emma. “And who’s this?”

Regina looked to Emma, her smile growing.

“This is Emma Swan, my true love.”

“Hey,” Emma said with a nervous wave. “It’s nice to finally meet you, sir.”

“Please, call me Henry,” he replied, and when Regina looked back to him, she was relieved to see his smile had grown.

“My son’s called Henry too,” Emma told him. “He’s running around here somewhere, probably causing trouble.”

Her father chuckled at that.

“Quite right, Regina was the same.”

“Was not,” Regina protested.

“She still is,” Emma countered, making him chuckled once again.

“Regina, can you fetch me some water?”

She was about to wave her hand to summon a glass via magic, but her father instantly protested.

“No, no, fetch me one from the kitchens. I’d like a moment to speak to Emma alone.”

Regina looked to Emma who nodded encouragingly. So, pressing a quick kiss on her father’s forehead, she moved to the door.

“I’ll be right back.”

As soon as she stepped out of the door, before Red or David said anything she transported herself to the kitchens, startling the maids.

“I need water,” she told them, too which they all just looked at each other. “Well?”

“I’ll fetch some from the well,” one of the younger maids said, running off to the yard. Regina waited, tapping her foot impatiently until she returned with an over-filled bucket. Putting it on the counter, she fetched a glass and put it in the bucket, scooping up the water before handing it to the queen.

“Thank you,” Regina replied, eyeing the murky water before using her magic to clear it. “Good day, ladies.”

With a wave of her hand, she was back outside the door. Yet this time it was open, and she could see Red and David stood inside.

As she stepped into the room, Emma quickly moved to her.

“Regina, I’m sorry. It happened so quick…”

Regina frowned at her before looking to the bed. The glass slipped from her hand, the glass smashing on the hard wooden floor.


	58. All Time Low

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all the comments and kudos! Again I own nothing my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

“Would you lie a drink, dearie?”

“Indeed I would,” Cora purred, her eyes fixed on the mirror before her. On it was her husband, finally dead. She could have killed him years ago, but she wasn’t one to waste a potential bargaining chip, or in this case a deep cut into her daughter. “We have much to celebrate.”

“That we do,” Rumpelstiltskin giggled, handing her a small glass. “I’m afraid I can’t stop long. I have to meet someone about a golden egg.”

Cora rolled her eyes, taking a sip of her wine.

“I don’t know why you carry on with such foolish errands when soon we will have this entire kingdom in our grasps.”

“Everyone’s got to have a hobby, dearie. I like to collect things, you like to rip people’s hearts out. Each to their own.”

“Very well,” Cora sighed. “But don’t dilly-dally. We have them firmly in our grasp.”

“I’ll be back before you know it,” he replied then with a wave of his hand, he was gone.

Cora sighed again and shook her head. It seemed even the Dark One was idiotic at times.

She continued to stare at the image in the mirror, basking in yet another victory. Up until the doors of the room blasted off their hinges.

“Mother!”

Cora smirked before waving her hand over the mirror, causing the image to disappear.

“Regina, what a pleasant surprise.”

Her daughter was an even bigger mess than usual, her face stained by tears with puffy eyes and a pouted lip. She couldn’t have been more ashamed.

Regina stormed towards her, anger boiling in her eyes.

“You bitch, you killed him!”

“Yes, he was getting to be more trouble than he was worth,” Cora replied. “And you, dear daughter, were taking your sweet time coming to save him.”

“HE WAS YOUR HUSBAND!” Regina cried. “THE FATHER OF YOUR ONLY CHILD!”

“Like any of that matters to me.”

Regina tried to blast her with her magic, but Cora easily blocked it before sending her daughter flying across the room. She couldn’t help but laugh at her, sprawled pathetic on the floor like the weakling she always knew she was.

“And anyway,” she continued, “whoever said you were my only child?”

Regina looked at her with wide eyes, which only made Cora laugh even more. She pulled her up by the collar of whatever ridiculous clothes she was wearing, likely from that strange little world she’d decided to call home. Totally unfeminine and a total disgrace.

“Oh Regina, there’s so much you don’t know and you never will. After all, you’ll be dead soon enough.”

“Why don’t you just do it now?” Regina spat back. “Get it over with.”

“No, that’s not the plan,” Cora told her with a devilish grin. “No, first I’m going to kill your entire army, then all the pathetic peasants that have sworn allegiance to your cause. Then the charming royal couple, followed by your little wolf friend who I plan to make the most lovely coat out of. Then of course, that little boy you are so fond of, and finally that little blonde piece that’s caught your eye. And I’m going to keep you alive long enough to watch it all. Every. Single. One.”

“You’d have to kill me first, because there is no way in hell I’d let you harm a single hair on their heads.”

Cora just laughed again.

“And you think you can stop me? Really Regina, that’s just pathetic.”

“Why are you doing this?” she questioned. “I understand Snow and David but Emma and Henry have done nothing wrong. What would be the reason for hurting them?”

With another chuckle, Cora leaned in to whisper in her ear.

“Because, my dear, revenge is sweet.”

With that, she dropped Regina on the ground.

“Until next time, Regina,” she cackled, before transporting her back to the palace. Chuckling away to herself, she moved back to the mirror, wanting to marvel in her handiwork once more.

 

Regina downed yet another glass of whisky, before glamming it down on the bar, indicting to the barmaid that she wanted another. She watched as they filled up the glass once more before repeating the action yet again. Though she wasn’t keeping count, she was sure she must have drunk a whole bottle by now and wasn’t planning to stop anytime soon.

She’d failed to do the one thing she’d come to that land to do. Her mother was right. She was pathetic.

Then the door to the tavern opened, and a familiar voice called out from behind her.

“Regina?”

Turing on the barstool, she looked to see Emma standing in the doorway. With a sigh, she got down from her stool and approached her.

“How did you know I was here?”

“I just thought what I would do in your situation,” Emma shrugged, before taking both o Regina’s hands in hers. “I’m so sorry, Regina.”

“Me too,” Regina sighed. “I was meant to save him and I didn’t. Yet again I’m not good enough. Cora’s useless daughter. Always have been, always will be.”

“How much have you drunk?” Emma frowned, causing Regina to pull away instantly.

“Not enough,” she replied, looking back to the bar where her glass was waiting. “Want a drink?”

“No I don’t,” Emma replied. “And I think you have had enough.”

“Emma, my father just died and my mother pretty much whipped the floor with me. I’m going to drink until I can’t see straight.”

“Then do it back at the castle,” Emma suggested but Regina shook her head adamantly.

“No, I’m never going back there again.”

“Regina, don’t be ridiculous…”

“I’M NOT RIDICULOUS!” she screamed, causing the entire tavern to shake. The startled look on Emma’s face, instantly made her calm down. “Emma, I’m sorry…”

“I know you are Regina but you need to stop,” Emma told her. “You’re emotional and drunk and I don’t want you to do something stupid.”

Regina opened her mouth to reply when the door to the tavern opened again and August walked in.

And she saw red.

Storming towards him, she used her magic to pin him against the wall, suspended in the air.

“Regina, what the fuck?!” Emma cried but Regina didn’t hear it, too deep in her rage.

“You knew,” she hissed. “You knew he was going to die, didn’t you? DIDN’T YOU?”

“I did,” August nodded. “I knew.”

“And you forced me to go get you from Storybrooke so you could be the big hero, even though it meant me losing precious time with my father? And you say you’re doing this all for me?”

“I’m sorry, but…”

“I don’t care about your excuses,” Regina snapped, letting him go so that he fell to the floor with a thump. “Get out of my sight.”

August didn’t wait a moment before running out of the tavern. Regina transported her glass to her and downed the remnants before smashing it on the floor.

“Go with him,” she told Emma. “Henry needs you at the palace.”

“You need me too,” she argued back, at which Regina shook her head.

“I’m beyond help right now, Emma,” she told her before walking out of the tavern.

Once out in the cold air, she shivered and pulled her coat further round herself. There was another tavern a ten minute walk away, and maybe the walk would sober her up a little. Make it possible for her to drink even more at the new location.

Yet she only made it round the corner of the tavern before a hand grasped her arm. She knew who it was as soon as she smelt the ale and seawater, and her stomach dropped.

“Well, well, well,” Killian Jones purred in her ear. “Long time no see, Regina.”


	59. The Saviour

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Hope you all enjoyed the holiday season and are ready for a (hopefully) great 2018! Sorry for the hiatus but I'm back and we're getting close to the grand finale! Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

“You,” Regina hissed, at which Killian laughed.

“Yes, Regina. It’s me. Are you surprised?”

“I guess I should be,” she replied. “But a part of me has always known I’d see you again, like a bad penny.”

Killian laughed again, yet this time it was sickeningly bitter.

“You have no idea, do you? What happened when you sent me through that portal?”

“I didn’t _send_ you,” Regina snapped. “It was an accident.”

“An accident,” he scoffed. “You sent me to bloody Neverland for three hundred years! A crocodile bit off my hand!”

At that he held up the hand that wasn’t holding on tightly on her arm, only to find there wasn’t a hand there at all. It was a hook. Regina’s eyes widened.

“You’re Captain Hook? _The_ Captain Hook?”

Regina had heard the stories, of a mysterious island called Neverland, where children never grew old and there was no parents to tell them what to do. The only downside was the island was plagued by pirates, the most formidable the deadly Captain Hook. He’d terrified her as a child so of course her mother used it, twisting the tales to make them purposely frightening. But to know him and Killian Jones were one in the same made it twice as bad, and despite herself she was scared.

“I see my reputation proceeds me,” he smirked before gripping her arm even tighter. “All those years, all I dreamed about was getting back to Storybrooke and making you pay. Then a whisper entered Neverland, of a queen with immense power and a heart filled with darkness. At first I didn’t care, but then I heard her name. Regina. And that’s when I knew my time had come to get my revenge. So I found a way from the island, and once I arrived at the docks, the Dark One was waiting for me. He told me his plan, and I was all too happy to help him along with it.”

“It was you who sent the assassin,” she stated rather than questioned. “But how did you know we’d be there?”

“Because one of your guards got away that day, and unfortunately for him decided to brag about it in a tavern I just so happened to be in. Saying you left something precious there, a ring from your beloved Daniel,” he teased. “I made him give me the location and, knowing how weak you really are, set in motion a trap you’d willingly walk into.”

“But why Emma?” she questioned. “Why not me?”

At that, he laughed again.

“Because, queenie, I wanted it to _hurt._ I wanted you to see the life disappear from her eyes, for you to be truly alone like I was all those years on that island. After all, if I can’t have her, no one else can.”

That was when Regina snapped, raising her hand, she planned to inflict him with as much pain as her magic was capable of bringing. Yet she didn’t, as no magic came to her. With a frown, she tried again, and again. Tried even the simplest of spells, yet she couldn’t.

“Having difficulty, are we?”

“What did she do?!” she demanded, making him laugh yet again as he sported a devilish grin.

“I thought you’d know better than to leave your drink unattended, Madam Mayor. It was all too easy to slip the potion into your drink, and it worked just as your mother promised.”

Regina rolled her eyes at that.

“I should have known. You’re far too stupid to come up with a plan like this.”

As she planned, his smirk disappeared and anger burned in his eyes.

“I wouldn’t speak like that if I were you,” he warned her. “After all, you have no magic. You’re defenceless.”

“Yes, I have no magic,” she shrugged. “Doesn’t mean I’m defenceless.”

With that, she punched him hard in the face, causing him to let go of her other arm. She made a move to get away but he reacted fast and shoved her to the ground. Loitering over her, he pulled a knife from his belt.

“Your mother wanted you alive, powerless to save the people you love,” he told her bitterly, putting a foot on her stomach so she couldn’t get up. “But I have other plans.”

He raised the knife, the blade shinning as it caught the moonlight. Regina’s heart dropped.

This was it, she thought. This is how it ends.

Then, just as he was about to bring down the blade, he froze.

He didn’t hesitate, he actually froze.

For a moment she thought her magic had returned, yet she tried to blast him off her and found she couldn’t. Frowning in confusion, she looked around to see if anyone else was there. And then, stepping out behind the frozen pirate, she saw her saviour.

“Emma?”

Emma Swan stood there, eyes wide and mouth agape. She was clearly in shock from what she had done, as Regina was also.

“Emma,” she said again, snapping her girlfriend out of her thoughts. Wordlessly, she stepped forward and pushed Killian over, causing him to fall next to Regina still frozen in place.

“Emma,” Regina found herself saying as she got to her feet, quickly taking her true love into her arms. Emma was quick to return the embrace, clinging to her for dear life.

“I-I don’t know how I did that.”

“I know,” Regina nodded. “But it looks like I’m not the only magic-user in this relationship.”

She’d said that in an attempt to lighten the mood, to make Emma relax. It didn’t work.

“I’m not from your world,” Emma spoke in a lost tone. “I shouldn’t be able to do that. W-what does that make me? What am I?”

“Oh Emma,” Regina sighed lightly, cupping her cheeks and placing a kiss on her lover’s lips. She felt her magic return and even though she’d thought it impossible, their true love magic was stronger than it had ever been.

Pulling away, she looked into Emma’s big green eyes and smiled.

“Emma Swan, you’re my saviour.”


	60. I've Got the Magic in Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all the comments and kudos! Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

She’d taken Emma straight up to their room when they returned to the castle, getting her comfortable in their bed before going off to say goodnight to Henry. Then, after running into Red, is informed he’s having a sleepover with Pinocchio so decided to leave him to it.

One she returned to the room, she found Emma was sat up in bed, holding her legs close to her chest and resting her chin on her knees. Her eyes were vacant, a less vibrant green.

“Emma,” Regina said softly, sitting down on the bed in front of her. “Talk to me.”

“What is there to talk about?” Emma replied in a numb voice. “I have magic, I never asked for it or anything but I have it and I have to deal with it.”

“Emma,” Regina repeated in little more than a whisper, moving to touch her arm yet Emma shrugged her off. Retreating back, she tried not to appear hurt by the gesture, even though it felt like a sucker punch right in the gut. “Please, just tell me what you’re thinking.”

“That the problem,” Emma grumbled. “I don’t know what to think. I’m so confused like…how did this happen. Is it because we’re true love, maybe I took some of your magic a-and that’s all it is?”

She wanted to tell her that was probably the case, that it would happen once and wouldn’t happen again. Yet she couldn’t lie to her, especially not about something as important as this.

“That’s not how it works,” she told her sadly. Emma let out a whimper and hid her face, her body shaking slightly which gave away she was crying.

Regina didn’t know what to do. She didn’t want to touch her again after she’d shown she didn’t want any contact, yet she couldn’t sit there and let her cry. It was against every atom she was made of.

“Tell me what I can do?” she ended up asking, more like pleading. “Tell me and I’ll do it.”

Emma raised her head, her bloodshot eyes meeting Regina’s.

“Get rid of my magic.”

Regina said nothing in reply. She didn’t know if she could do that, maybe with an enchanted cuff, or a potion like that Killian gave to her. Yet with the later they’d have to be cautious, preparing for each kiss, taking away all spontaneity, all sudden moments of burning love and passion. Though it was selfish, she couldn’t do that. To go through all this only to be cautious every moment she’s with her true love. No, she wouldn’t do it.

“Do you think Henry has magic too?” Emma asked suddenly, taking Regina by surprise.

“Emma, don’t worry about that right now.”

“I’m a mother, Regina,” Emma snapped at her. “If there’s a chance Henry has magic…”

“Then I’ll deal with it,” Regina told her. “I’m his mother now too and don’t you ever think I’d put his wellbeing aside for a moment because I love him more than anything. But he’s shown no signs of possessing magic so what can I do?”

After a moment of silence, Emma mumbled an apology.

“It’s just…you always talk about magic as being this awful thing, of what you went through with your mother and Rumpelstiltskin. If that happens to Henry…”

“It won’t,” Regina told her adamantly. “My experience with magic has been awful because I was turned into a monster because of it. Not because of magic itself but because those who weren’t meant to help me, to protect me, just used me for their own personal gain. I became twisted and angry and I used magic to do the most terrible things. That won’t happen with Henry or you because you have me and I’ll teach you properly, the way I should have been taught. And if anyone, _anyone_ , tries to use you for your gifs, I’ll _destroy_ them. Because no one tries to my family and gets away with it. I’ll always protect you and Henry from everything I can, and this is no exception.”

Emma stared at her for a few heartbeats before grabbing Regina and pulling her into a kiss. As always, it was magical.

“I love you,” Emma whispered as she pulled away from her lips to press their foreheads together.

“I love you too,” Regina replied.

“There is one thing you can do for me.”

“Name it and it’s done.”

“Win this war,” Emma told her. “Win this war so we can go home and have our happily ever after.”

“I will,” Regina told her. “I’m going to talk to Snow and David tomorrow. I’m sick of waiting. We need to go to battle and end this war.”

Emma stared at her for a moment before smiling and kissing her again, pulling Regina down onto the mattress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 60 down, 5 more to go....


	61. One Last Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for all the comments and kudos! Sorry for the wait but finally I got the next chapter done. Again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

The battlefield had been set, a raven prepared to send the declaration by noon the next day, the time they would have reached the chosen battleground if their predictions were correct. Everything was ready, nothing left to do until morning. And so the castle and all its residence spent the night in celebration, commemorating what could either be the night before victory or the night before the end.

David and Snow held a grand feast, filled with music and laughter and of course motivational speeches. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, even Emma and Henry, who danced together with bright smiles and beautiful laughter.

Regina watched from the side lines, happy to stand aside and watch. Occasionally Henry would look over at her, giving her a smile or a wave that she’d always quickly return.

“He’s adorable,” August commented as he moved to stand beside her. “Why aren’t you joining in?”

“I’m not a party person,” she replied with a shrug. “And I have too much to think about right now.”

“Worried about tomorrow?”

Regina couldn’t help but laugh at that.

“You think?”

“Yeah, stupid question,” he chuckled, before awkwardly putting his hands in his pockets. “Look, about the thing with your father…”

“No,” Regina stopped him. “Just…let’s not talk about it, okay? I can’t be mad at people right now, not when I have to face my mother tomorrow.”

August nodded in understanding.

“That’s fair enough. It’ll be pretty crazy tomorrow, huh? Going into battle and all. I was actually hoping you’d move me into your battalion. It would be an honour to fight alongside you.”

Regina frowned as she listened to his words, and once he was finished she let out a deep sigh.

“August, listen,” she said, putting her hands on her hips. “You’re not coming with us.”

“What?” he questioned. “No, you don’t understand. I need to be there with you.”

“The decision has been made,” she told him. “You’re staying and you’re going to help make sure the people here are kept safe from any surprise attacks.”

“That’s bullshit, I saw you practising those barrier spells. You’re just looking for an excuse to stop me from going.”

“Perhaps,” Regina shrugged. “But I’m also trusting you to look after Henry, and of course your younger self. Two treasures I want you to protect with your life. It’s not a pity job, it’s a job for someone I can trust. And I…I trust you.”

August stared at her for a moment before shaking his head in disbelief.

“This is unbelievable. You know what this is? Favouritism. You keep me here but you allow men younger and less able than me to risk their lives. You can’t do that.”

“Oh August,” Regina chuckled, placing a soft hand on his cheek. “I do what I want.”

Patting him lightly on the cheek, she left him and headed over to join Emma and Henry. As soon as she reached them, Emma put an arm round her and pulled her close.

“Aha! We have you now!” she said in an exaggerated tone that made Henry giggle.

“You’re our prisoner now, Regina!” Henry added, causing her to chuckle and shake her head.

“Whatever am I going to do with you two?”

“Keep us, we hope,” Emma replied, placing a light kiss on her cheek.

“I think I can manage that,” Regina teased before kissing her back, this time on the lips.

“Eww,” Henry grimaced, causing them to break the kiss.

“Get used to it, Kid,” Emma told him, at which he shrugged.

“I don’t mind really. I’m glad I have two mom’s now.”

Regina felt her heart swell at his words, a stray tear rolling down her cheek. Emma was quick to reach over and catch it with her thumb.

“Woah, what’s this?” she questioned.

“Nothing bad,” Regina assured her, before smiling down at Henry. “It’s just…your words made me very happy, Henry.”

He shrugged again.

“It’s just the truth.”

Both women chuckled at that, neither able to respond before David called for everyone’s attention.

“Ladies and gentleman, my wife has something she’d like to say to you all.”

Regina frowned at David’s expression, looking even more foolish than usual with a stupidly wide smile on his face. Yet still, she stood and listened as Snow moved forward to speak to them all.

“As many of you know, I am a queen who fights alongside her loyal and noble nights on the battlefield. Yet unfortunately this time I am unable to.”

“I thought she was,” Emma whispered to her as Regina’s frown deepened. She’d thought so too.

“You see,” Snow continued, holding out her hand for David to come stand beside her, which he did far too eagerly. “We’ve just found out that we’re expecting a baby.”

Regina’s heart instantly plummeted.

“And so, to insure nothing happens to our future child, I’ve elected to stay behind while my brave husband represents me on the battlefield. Rest assured, you’ll all be at the forefront of my mind and when you all return victorious we will soon be able to celebrate the birth of a new prince or princess, and the future of our great kingdom. So I hope you will all raise a glass for the future.”

“For the future,” everyone called out, clapping and whistling, hugging each other and cheering. As though none of them would be dead this time tomorrow.

Regina wasn’t thinking about that though, nor did she want to be a part of this celebration anymore. Excusing herself, she headed back up to her room.

Once inside her bedchamber, she shut the door behind her and made her way to the bed, crawling onto it still in her ball down.

Curling up in the middle of the lumpy mattress, she began to cry.

She didn’t know how long she cried for, the time between letting go of her restraint to the moment Emma entered the room seeming non-existent. Yet it must have been some time as, when she lifted her head to look at her girlfriend, she noticed the makeup stains on the sheets.

 “Regina,” Emma said in a soft tone, climbing on the bed and pulling her into her arms, “why are you crying?”

“I don’t want to say,” Regina grumbled. “It’s stupid.”

“It’s not stupid if its making you this upset,” Emma told her. “So what is it? Is it your mom?”

“No,” she shook her head. “No, not that?”

“Then what? Come on, you can talk to me. You know that.”

Regina let out a shaky sigh. She didn’t want to talk about this with her, but she also knew she was the only person she could. Taking a while to assess her option, she decided to just tell her.

“Snow’s having a baby.”

She could sense the realisation passing through Emma, and her arms quickly pulled her closer.

“Of course, I’m sorry I didn’t put two and two together. I…”

“No, you don’t be sorry,” Regina told her. “You’ve done nothing wrong. For once neither has Snow, or even my mother. This is my situation, and I’m the one who has to deal with it.”

“We deal with things together,” Emma corrected her. “So, why don’t you talk me through how you’re feeling?”

Regina was silent for a while before replying, trying to make sure of her feelings herself.

“I-I always knew the day would come when Snow would have a child and I knew it would hurt,” she admitted. “Knowing the person who was responsible for taking my happy ending away would get something I’d never have because of that stupid mistake I made…it made me angry. Everything always made me so _angry_. Then I met you and Henry and that was fine for a while, and now I’m not angry anymore and I’m so very happy. I even quite like Snow now, and David. And then came the news I’d always dreaded. I-I want to be happy for them, I really do, but…”

“You wish it was you,” Emma finished for her, and Regina felt incredibly guilty as she nodded.

“Isn’t it awful? I mean I have Henry now and I love him as though he were my own and he’s enough Emma, I promise you. You’re both all I’d ever need and then some. You’re the greatest gift of all. But there is a part of me that wants to have that experience of having this little person made from love…I told you it’s stupid.”

“It’s not stupid,” Emma told her. “And its something we’ll need to talk about properly, after all this. We have options, Regina. Medical and magical. We can do this.”

Regina sat up at her words, looking at her true love in surprise.

“You’d…you’d have another child with me?”

“Of course I would,” Emma chuckled. “And once this is all over we can look into it seriously. Right now though we need to focus on getting through tomorrow.”

“You’re right,” Regina nodded, wiping away her tears and smiling as she lay back on the bed. “Where’s Henry?”

“With Red and Granny. They’ll put him to bed. So I’m all yours until morning, my majesty.”

“My majesty?” Regina questioned. “That’s a new one.”

“Sure is,” Emma nodded, moving in for a kiss. “I suggest we start on the sexy stuff now then get some sleep for tomorrow. That way we get the passion but its also practical.

Regina couldn’t help but laugh, lightly tracing Emma’s blossom lips with her fingertip.

“Maybe I can convince you to stay behind tomorrow.”

“Nothing will ever convince me,” Emma replied, flipping them so she was on top of her. “We’re a team and we’re doing this together.”

Regina didn’t argue with her, knowing it would be no use. Instead she gave into Emma’s next kiss, allowing her to forget it all for a little while. After all, it could be very well be her last night and she was going to spend it showing Emma Swan just how much she loved her.


	62. The Final Battle- Part One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! So sorry I haven't updated this in a while but I'm definitely finishing it I have the chapters all planned out and I'm looking forward to finally writing them! Thanks for all the support and again, I own nothing and my grammar sucks. Hope you all enjoy!

The battle had started in a blur.

One moment they were waiting for the impending forces of Cora’s army and the next they were in the midst of the bloody fight for their lives. The battle seemed endless, stretching as far as the eye could see, the sound of colliding metal and cries of pain and triumph travelling like an echo all around.

Regina made her way across the battlefield, blasting anyone who came near her as she searched for her mother. She was alone, despite beginning with Emma and David by her side. In the chaos she’d lost them both but, although she was unaware of David’s fate, she knew Emma was fine.

If anything had happened to her, she would have felt it.

Looking up above it all, she could see Rumpelstiltskin stood on the hillside. No doubt his hands were clasped as he giggled away, watching it all unfold before him. Regina wanted to get up there and kill him, but she had bigger fish to fry. He was stood alone, which meant her mother must be among all this. Now all she had to do was find her.

It didn’t take long until she caught sight of her through the crowd, ripping out the heart of one of their knights before crushing it in her hand. Fists clenched, she began to march forward, summoning up all the power she had.

But then she heard a cry that stopped her in her tracks.

Looking to her right, she saw David and Ruby, fighting back to back as her mother’s forces descended upon them. Though they were both skilled fighters, the mass attack was too much for them. David had a deep cut across his cheek, and Ruby’s leg was bleeding. It wouldn’t be long until they couldn’t fight them off anymore.

Snow White would lose her husband and her best friend in the same moment.

Not long ago, the prospect would have brought Regina great joy. Now, however, she was divided.

She looked to her mother again, so close and unaware of her presence that it would be easy to end it all, here and now. But then she looks back to David and Ruby, just in time to see a sword slice across Ruby’s upper arm, blood instantly pouring from the wound.

Looking back and forth between them again, she finally makes her decision. With one blast of magic, she makes the attackers disappear, and with another she heals their wounds.

After a moment of shared confusion, David and Ruby look to her, grateful smiles appearing on both their faces. Regina smiles back, honestly glad they were both okay.

Then Ruby’s face dropped, terror appearing in her eyes as she looked at something beyond her. Turning around, Regina saw a knight towering above her, sword raised ready to cut her down.

She didn’t have enough time to conjure more magic, or reach for her sword. There was nothing she could do.

The battle instantly went to the back of her mind as time seemed to slow. Instead, her mind went to Emma and Henry, both smiling back home in Storybrooke. Her happy ending, or what could have been.

Closing her eyes, she waited for the blow to come.

But it never did.

Opening them again cautiously, she saw her attacker on the ground, clutching his bleeding chest. Above him stood August, wiping his sweating forehead on the back of his gloved hand.

Regina let out a breath of relief.

“I told you to stay at the castle,” she told him, at which he shrugged.

“I was never very good at following orders.”

Regina shook her head as she pulled her sword from its sheath.

“Well if you’re here, you might as well make yourself useful,” she said with a teasing smile that he quickly returned.

“May I have the honour of fighting beside you, my queen?”

“You may,” she nodded. “Now come on, let’s kick their asses.”

They made their way through the crowd, Red and David following too. It had been a long while since Regina had used a sword but she found that with the amount of adrenaline running through her, she could do anything. All the while, she summoned her magic again, preparing for when she’d next catch sight of her mother.

Catching an arrow in her free hand, she quickly threw it back, hitting the archer in the arm, before moving her sword to block another. Kicking the knight in the crotch, she watched him fall before kicking him in the stomach.

“Not very queen-like,” David commented after fighting off yet another of her mother’s knights. Regina shrugged in reply.

“I’m not really a queen anymore.”

“You are,” he told her. “Right now, you’re more of a queen than you’ve ever been.”

Regina couldn’t help but smile at his words. She opened her mouth to reply yet before she could, a blood-curdling laugh made them both freeze.

“Weakness does not make you a queen,” came her mother’s voice and anger instantly rose within her. Conjuring her magic, she turned around ready to blast her with all she had.

But when she caught sight of her, her heart dropped.

“And I do believe I’ve found yours,” Cora purred, holding the blade closer to Emma’s neck. “Now I have your attention, let’s talk dear daughter.”


End file.
